Why The Los Angeles Lakers Do The Deal 

Of course, some would suggest that the Lakers should be on the brink of falling apart too. Unlike the Suns, however, they won’t have the option of doing so gracefully. 

That’s largely because they don’t own their next several first-round picks. They are now in the possession of the New Orleans Pelicans. With that in mind, the Lakers are stuck in win-now mode. Of course, that raises another concern: this deal, like many proposed Lakers deals, would have them trading the precious little draft capital they have left. 

Here’s the deal. Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, and Deandre Ayton are all very talented. None of them are LeBron James. He’s one of the two or three best players in NBA history.

The Lakers only need to put a component supporting cast around him, and they’ll be contenders. 

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns & Los Angeles Lakers Updates

This deal provides him with one. We already outlined the potential perfection in his partnership with Paul. Crowder is also the archetypical 3-and-D wing to surround James with. This deal would make the Lakers considerably more competitive in 2022-23. 

What does it do for the Suns?