An NBA general manager told Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports that it’s Chris Paul’s “dream” to play for the Los Angeles Lakers and with LeBron James.
Paul could get waived or traded by the Phoenix Suns this summer.
“Lakers first,” one Eastern Conference GM texted Deveney. “It’s not definite, a lot can happen. But you’d have to start there. He always had (the) dream of being a Laker (and) playing with LBJ (James).”
If Paul gets waived by the Suns, he can sign with the Lakers as an unrestricted free agent. CP3 is very close friends with LeBron. Paul is Bronny James’ Godfather.
“If it is what Chris Paul wants, being with the Lakers, it is what he is gonna get,” one Western Conference executive told Deveney. “He has the house in L.A. He is getting near retirement. He wants a chance to win. There’s the LeBron thing. That’s where all the signs point, to L.A.”
The Lakers acquired Paul from the New Orleans Hornets in December 2011 before former commissioner David Stern vetoed the trade. The Hornets wound up trading the future Hall of Famer to the Los Angeles Clippers, who never got past the second round of the playoffs during the Paul-Blake Griffin-DeAndre Jordan era.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns, LeBron James & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Paul averaged 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists for the Suns this season while shooting 44.0% from the field, 37.5% from beyond the arc and 83.1% from the free-throw line. The 12-time All-Star has never won a title despite playing on several talented teams. The Suns were picked by many people to win the championship this season after the club acquired two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets.
However, Phoenix lost to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals in six games. Paul got hurt in Game 2 and missed the rest of the series.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns, LeBron James & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
The Lakers got swept by the Nuggets in the conference finals. Their starting point guard, D’Angelo Russell, becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer and he may not get re-signed by the team after playing poorly versus the Nuggets.
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