Featured Columnist IVJune 23, 2024
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The level of interest in signing Chris Paul within the Los Angeles Lakers “might not be unanimous” were he to hit free agency, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
Paul has a $30 million non-guaranteed salary for the 2024-25 season, so the possibility remains for him to be waived by the Golden State Warriors or another team — should he get traded — before the June 28 deadline.
The Lakers would likely be a trendy choice to pick up the 12-time All-Star in that scenario thanks to his longstanding friendship with LeBron James.
With James, sentiment only extends so far when it comes to making basketball-related decisions.
Being friends with Dwyane Wade didn’t stop the four-time MVP from leaving the Miami Heat, and he didn’t exactly stand in the way of the Cleveland Cavaliers trading Wade midway through the 2017-18 season.
James also let bygones be bygones with Cavs team governor Dan Gilbert and returned to Cleveland in 2014. Plenty of other stars in his position never would’ve given the franchise a second chance after how it handled his exit four years earlier.
D’Angelo Russell has a player option for next season, while Spencer Dinwiddie is hitting the open market. Regardless of what happens with Russell, L.A. may focus on addressing the backcourt after Gabe Vincent provided such a small return in the first year of his $33 million contract.
Paul, who turned 39 in May, has seen his skills decline over the last few years. Still, he averaged 16.8 points and 12.4 assists per 100 possessions in a bench role with the Golden State Warriors, per NBA.com.
The surefire Hall of Famer would theoretically work as a traditional point guard to help space the floor while feeding the ball to James and Anthony Davis. The current version of CP3 probably wouldn’t significantly raise the Lakers’ floor, though.
To that end, getting into a bidding war for Paul wouldn’t be worth it for general manager Rob Pelinka. If he’s willing to return to Southern California for the vet minimum or a little above that, then it’s an option worth pursuing.
