A common name linked to the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency over the years has been veteran guard Chris Paul, who of course was traded to the team in 2011 before the deal got vetoed by the league.
At 40 years-old, Paul announced this season would be his last and with that, he return to the L.A. Clippers as he was a pioneer in turning that franchise around. After failing to win a championship in the Lob City era, the five-time assists champion felt it was right to close out his final season back there.
The Clippers were viewed as a contender in a competitive Western Conference, but their season has been a disaster to this point. So much so that their front office decided to part ways with Paul, the franchise’s greatest player, during a recent road trip.
Despite how sour his exit from the Clippers was, Paul wants to find a new home to continue his final NBA season. While it may make sense to connect the Lakers given their proximity and the recent injury to Austin Reaves, that is reportedly not at the forefront of the front office’s minds right now, via NBA insider Jake Fischer:
Despite the 40-year-old’s frequently cited desire to play as close to his Los Angeles-based family as possible, sources say that the Lakers are not considering Paul as a potential in-season addition despite the many years of Paul-to-the-Lakers speculation that have swirled leaguewide. Remember that our publisher reported on Dec. 14 that the Lakers have generally been very intentional in targeting players under 30 since the offseason when addressing various roster needs … and word Friday night that Austin Reaves will be lost for at least four weeks has created larger problems for the purple and gold anyway.
Even despite the Reaves injury, the Lakers aren’t exactly in need of another ball-handler that presents no answers to their defensive woes. While Paul can still playmake at a considerable level, he is not a viable fit given LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Gabe Vincent and Marcus Smart all needing minutes.
As the trade deadline begins to come to the forefront, general manager Rob Pelinka needs to focus on youthful 3-and-D talent because if the Lakers’ defense continues in this direction, there is no chance of contention.
LeBron James comments on Chris Paul departure from Clippers
One of Paul’s closest friends is James and those two have shared plenty of battles against one another. With James being an outspoken supporter of Paul, he was not willing to speak about the former Clippers guard’s sudden departure from Los Angeles.
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