Making the Case: Los Angeles Lakers
Where the Los Angeles Lakers differ from the Phoenix Suns is in the fact that an efficient game manager like Chris Paul is actually precisely what they need next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Russell Westbrook’s inefficient scoring profile and unrelenting grip on the Lakers’ half-court offense just isn’t a fit. The upcoming season will mark the 15th year of Westbrook’s NBA career. He’s not going to become a better shooter in one offseason or be more careful with the basketball.
The risk the Lakers would be taking is that Paul is signed to a large contract through the 2024-25 season. However, it’s not as substantial as one would think. The $30.0 million salary Paul will earn in the final year of his deal is fully non-guaranteed.
Perhaps one of the more intriguing elements of Paul’s contract is that only $15.8 million of his $30.8 million salary in 2023-24 is guaranteed. If the Lakers needed to move on from him, they could take advantage of that avenue as a worst-case scenario.
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The Lakers would also need to be content with taking on Landry Shamet’s contract, which has four years remaining. His combo guard skill-set could prove to be a solid fit next to the new “Big 3” in Los Angeles.
