Chris Paul Rumors: PG Has Dreamed of Playing with Lakers ...
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Amid conflicting reports regarding Chris Paul's future with the Phoenix Suns, there is one destination that stands out above the rest if the star point guard is set to move on this summer.
And that's with his long-time friend LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Heavy.com's Sean Deveney.
Deveney spoke with several executives around the league, and the Lakers seemed like the unanimous favorites to land Paul should he leave Phoenix.
"Lakers first," one Eastern Conference GM texted him. "It's not definite, a lot can happen. But you'd have to start there. He always had (the) dream of being a Laker (and) playing with LBJ (James)."
Bleacher Report and TNT's Chris Haynes reported Wednesday that the Suns told Paul he was being waived. However, ESPN's Wojnarowski and The Athletic's Shams Charania later reported Paul was still with the organization and discussing the next steps.
Charania said the sides were looking over several options, including a trade, stretching his contract or waiving and re-signing him in free agency. Any of these moves would come ahead of his guarantee deadline of June 28.
If the 12-time All-Star is going to find a way to Los Angeles and play with James, the easiest path would be through a buyout of the guaranteed $15.8 million that remains on his contract, which would make him a free agent.
The organization could also decide to trade him, and he could be waived by his new team.
"There is a lot that can happen there," an Eastern Conference executive told Deveney. "The Suns need depth all over that roster. They want to free up their payroll. They want to see if there is a way to bring in Dame (Lillard). They want to see what they can do with a Deandre Ayton deal. There is a lot on the table. And the Lakers need to know where they are going with (D'Angelo) Russell. They're not just letting him walk. They traded a pick for him. And who knows if they could get Chris to sign a vet minimum deal or what?
"But if it is a straight kind of thing, just giving (Paul) the $15 million and moving on, and everything else is equal, it is hard to imagine him not going to the Lakers."
As Deveney pointed out, bringing in Paul would be a manageable, yet difficult, move for the Lakers, as they are likely to be over the luxury-tax threshold next season. Giving him anything more than the veteran's minimum ($3.1 million) would hinder the organization financially.
However, if both sides want to get it done, there shouldn't be too many barriers in the way of getting Paul into the Purple and Gold.
"If it is what Chris Paul wants, being with the Lakers, it is what he is gonna get," one Western Conference executive said. "He has the house in L.A. He is getting near to retirement. He wants a chance to win. There's the LeBron thing. That's where all the signs point, to L.A."
Paul came very close to landing with the Lakers over a decade ago in 2011 when he was included in a three-team deal between Los Angeles, New Orleans and the Rockets. However, then-commissioner David Stern prevented the trade from going through as the steward of New Orleans' team, which was seeking a buyer at the time.
Now, Paul may finally get that wish granted.
