One NBA writer is proposing that the Los Angeles Lakers acquire Chris Paul from the Phoenix Suns this offseason.
Jason Reed of Fansided proposed that the Lakers send Mo Bamba, Malik Beasley, Max Christie and two future draft picks to the Suns for Paul.
“If the Suns are actually considering waiving Paul and taking a salary-cap figure on the head for nothing then they certainly would be willing to turn his salary-cap space into more depth to build around Kevin Durant and Devin Booker,” Reed wrote. “The key person in this trade is actually Mo Bamba. If the Suns pull off a Deandre Ayton trade in which they save money then Mamba could be a nice depth piece for the team to utilize next season. If not, the Suns can also get out of his deal (non-guaranteed for the 2023-24 season), saving $10.3 million in the process.
“If that happens, the Suns would be getting someone to space the floor in Beasley, a young player with promise in Christie, two second-round picks and would be saving $14.2 million against the cap in total next season. Two years ago this would have been a ludicrous trade return for CP3. His value has never been less and this is the kind of deal the Suns would be looking at if they do decide to trade him.”
The Suns will waive, stretch or trade Paul this offseason. The 38-year-old, who has a close relationship with Lakers superstar LeBron James, has a partially guaranteed contract for next season.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
CP3 averaged a career-low 13.9 points in 2022-23. The Suns lost to the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals in six games. Paul suffered a groin injury in Game 2 and missed the rest of the series.
“While there are concerns, at the end of the day the Lakers would be getting Paul for an incredible value,” Reed wrote. “If the team wants to take a swing at the fence this is the swing to take. There is no long-term risk like there would be if the team brought in Kyrie Irving and if this ends up working out, it could be enough to get over the hump next season.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
The Lakers got swept by the Nuggets in the conference finals. They may look to move on from D’Angelo Russell since the All-Star played terribly in the Denver series.
Want the latest in NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
