The Los Angeles Lakers would have strong interest in signing Chris Paul if the guard is waived or stretched by the Phoenix Suns this offseason, according to NBA insider Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
Paul and Lakers superstar small forward LeBron James are essentially best friends and have always wanted to play with each other.
The Suns are expected to trade, waive or stretch Paul this offseason.
“Paul is the type of maestro who could alleviate some of the offensive pressure on James to generate high-percentage looks late in games,” Buha wrote. “Even with Paul nearing 40, it’s easy to envision the rhythm of a Paul-Davis pick-and-roll after seeing it for so many years in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Houston, Oklahoma City and Phoenix.”
“Paul is more jump-shot reliant than ever, but he remains an elite mid-range assassin,” Buha explained. “He’s also a capable spot-up shooter who can prop up lineups as a primary or secondary playmaker. The Lakers would need to hide him defensively, but they’re capable of doing so within Darvin Ham’s scheme and with the surrounding defensive personnel. Paul would make a lot of sense for the Lakers as a low-minute starter who ramps up in the postseason.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Paul averaged 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists for the Suns this past 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 a partially guaranteed contract for next season.
The Lakers got swept by the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 conference finals. Their starting point guard, D’Angelo Russell, played very poorly and there has already been talk in league circles about Los Angeles and Phoenix doing a sign-and-trade deal involving Russell and Paul.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
However, Buha is reporting that the Lakers “have discussed signing Paul and retaining Russell to truly solidify their point guard position.”
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