Los Angeles Lakers: 3 guards to avoid trading for this offseason
By Zane Harris
#1: Chris Paul
The final player on the list may be a controversial one. That player being Chris Paul. While Paul is a veteran, future Hall of Famer, along with one of LeBron James’s best friends in the NBA, the Lakers should not trade for him this season.
The package for Paul would be quite difficult to put together. The Lakers would have to sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a deal that would work for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Once that is done, a package of KCP, Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma, Alex Caruso, Quinn Cook, and a draft pick or two would be enough to get Paul onto the team.
Paul would be a perfect fit on the floor with the Lakers, along with being a perfect locker room presence for the team. Playing with long time friend LeBron James, along with the most talented big he’s ever played with in Anthony Davis, the Lakers would be a perfect destination for Paul to play.
He is one of the best playmakers and passers of all time and has a reputation of being a player who makes everyone around him better. Along with this, he is no slouch defensively either. Throughout his lengthy career in the league, Paul has been a part of 9 All-NBA Defensive teams.
The issue with Paul comes from an off the court issue, his contract. Next season, Paul is penciled in to be the fifth highest-paid player in the league and will make even more money the following season.
It would be very risky for the team to invest that much money into only three players with teams like the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, and Boston Celtics, having extremely deep benches along with star talent. There is potential that the Lakers could make a move for Paul after next season if Paul chooses to turn down his player option, or once his contract expires.
Next. Players to trade for with the 28th pick. dark
The only way that the Lakers should agree to a trade for Paul would be if they were one hundred percent confident that he would turn down his player option. This would allow the Lakers to resign Paul to a more team-friendly contract and still be a major player in the 2021 free agency.