NBA Rumors: Clippers, Lakers to push hard for Chris Paul in free agency

NBA Rumors: Two early potential suitors for Chris Paul, if he is waived, are the LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers. 

For a minute, it seemed as if the Chris Paul era with the Phoenix Suns had come to an end. Now, however, it’s far from clear what’s going on between Paul and the Suns.

According to an original report, the Suns were going to waive Paul, clearing the way for him to become a free agent. Then, it was also reported that the Suns and Paul were discussing a pathway forward, whether it be waiving him or even trading him before a decision needs to be made on his contract (June 28).

Either way, the next few weeks should be huge when it comes to predicting Paul’s future with the Suns. I wouldn’t say that the door has closed for a possible return next season, but it’s looking more and more like he could possibly hit free agency this summer after he’s waived by the team.

And if he were to hit free agency, there would likely be a robust market for the veteran point guard. Even more so considering he is unlikely to be seeking a big-money deal at this point in his career. It would seem that if he does explore another contract, the likely priority for him would be to find a team that is close to winning a championship.

And per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, two of the teams that will likely be sitting atop the interested parties are the LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers.

Do the Lakers and Clippers make the most sense for Chris Paul?

In a vacuum, it’s easy to see why the Lakers and Clippers would be interested in acquiring Paul. The Clippers were in search of a veteran point guard at this past year’s NBA Trade Deadline and were forced to settle for Eric Gordon and Bones Hyland. It would not be surprising if they explored the point guard market once again this offseason.

The Lakers also make sense considering the uncertainty that revolves around D’Angelo Russell and his impending free agency. It also doesn’t hurt their chances that LeBron James and Paul are good friends.

The big question for Paul is whether the Clippers and Lakers are the two teams that will give him the best opportunity to compete for a championship next season. And that’s where it gets muddled.

It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out with Paul and the Suns, but things are far from settled at the moment.