Will Chris Paul finally be a Laker?
The Suns intend to waive Chris Paul. It was a move that definitely came as a surprise to me, and I’m sure many of you as well — even Trey was pretty confused about the whole thing.
The Suns waived Chris Paul and for the life of me I can’t figure out what it accomplished pic.twitter.com/KVOA9KsvwT
— Trey Daubert (@treydaubert) June 7, 2023
It still doesn’t fully make sense to me, but I guess when you factor in that he had no trade value and the Suns need to get below the cap it makes a little more sense. Still, the Suns remain above the cap which leads me to believe Deandre Ayton will soon be traded as well.
Truth be told, I have no idea what direction the Suns are going in, but that’s not what I’m focusing on with this article.
Now, the Suns technically have until June 28 to make a decision regarding Paul’s future with the franchise, but it seems very likely that he won’t be a Sun by the start of next season. Naturally, people start to wonder where the 12-time All-Star will end up.
Sure, he’s clearly past his prime but at the right price he could be a great addition to a championship-caliber team. People in the Vendetta chat immediately said that Paul would be a Laker, and when looking on social media and at other articles that seems to be a widely held consensus.
Should the Lakers Target Chris Paul?
Should the Lakers go after the 38-year-old point guard? Yes and no. With Paul set to join free agency soon — pending the Suns’ release — the Lakers should opt to sign him to a team-friendly contract.
If you trade for him, you’re taking on that $30 million contract the Suns want to move off of. While Paul would be a solid addition, paying that much money for him is absurd and can be used to address more pressing needs.
The Suns have no leverage here, so there is no need to accept a trade. At this point, it seems like the Suns will stretch out his contract over the next five years, meaning he would become a free agent.
D’Angelo Russell is a UFA this offseason and did little to warrant an extension. The Lakers have needed guard help for years and at the right price, Paul could be just that. They just cannot trade for Chris Paul. I promise you it’s not worth it.
If he becomes a free agent, then I don’t hate signing him to a team-friendly contract. But if a team is dumb enough to trade for him, then let them do that. Your franchise will not be defined by a 38-year-old Chris Paul.
Overall, I do believe that Chris Paul could be a great addition to this Lakers team. I think they have more pressing issues to address right now, but sure, if he winds up in free agency, I don’t see why the Lakers wouldn’t at least make an offer.
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