Los Angeles Lakers: Would acquiring Chris Paul solve their issues?
Would Chris Paul be a savior for the Los Angeles Lakers?
Coming off a disappointing finish to what was looking like a storybook ending to a season, Chris Paul has some big decisions to make heading into the offseason. With the option to test free agency, Paul needs to figure out what the next step is going to be for him.
He could opt-in to the final year of his contract and run next season back with the Phoenix Suns, but he could also hit the open market and quite possibly join another contender that perhaps he believes is in a better position to win a championship next season.
In any case, it won’t be an easy decision to make.
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One option that could be on the table, and one that you’d have to believe is going to make the rounds is Paul joining his good friend LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers.
Chris Paul on the Los Angeles Lakers would solve plenty of their issues
On the surface, this is a move that makes plenty of sense. The Lakers sorely suffered when LeBron or Anthony Davis was off the floor. Adding another star-caliber player would be a good move for any team, especially for the Lakers that needed one many nights this past season.
Paul would bring a scoring punch and another playmaker to the offense; along with another leadership voice. He’d help LeBron get off-ball so much and would help make life easier for both him and Davis on the offensive ends.
His leadership abilities would also help alleviate some of that pressure as well.
The ultimate concern when it comes to Paul for the Lakers or any other team that ends up interested in him this offseason falls on his health. Paul always seems banged up and if he’s not right for the postseason, then the Lakers are pretty much right back where they left off this past season.
Apart from that, there’s also the money. Since the Lakers already have two max players on the roster, acquiring Paul is a lot more difficult than it seems.
If the Lakers end up adding Paul it will likely have to be via sign-and-trade or he’s likely going to have to opt-out of the final year of his contract with the Suns, bypass some other big offers on the free-agent market, and then sign for pennies on the dollar in Los Angeles.
Maybe I’m wrong and can’t read into Paul after losing in the NBA Finals, but I don’t believe he’s ready to take the veteran’s minimum to go chase a championship. Not yet, at least. So if the Lakers do land Paul, it will likely come via sign-and-trade. And that’s where it gets a bit more complicated.
Even though I wouldn’t be shocked if the Suns did right by Paul, especially after the season he turned in to help him get to the Lakers, it still doesn’t sit right with me that Phoenix would hand Paul right to Los Angeles.
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Again, maybe I’m wrong. But this seems more like a pipedream than an actual option for the Lakers heading into the offseason.