3. Chris Paul
Projected salary: $30mil+
Okay, so this one is the longest of long shots. First and foremost, despite not being a salary cap expert, I struggle to see how the Lakers can afford anyone from this tier of free agency, at least in 2021-22.
Having said that, if anyone from this tier has even a fraction of a chance of being a Laker, it’s either Chris Paul or Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry. Lowry is undoubtedly more affordable than Paul, making more sense for the Lakers from a financial standpoint. However, Lowry has something that Paul doesn’t, a title, meaning that he’s less likely to be inclined to ring chase.
Could CP3 take a pay cut to ring chase with LeBron James and Anthony Davis?
The latest on Paul is that he’s likely to opt-out of his $44 mil player option in search of a multi-year deal, as per Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus.
With almost complete certainty, I can say that Paul will be chasing around $30mil a year for three years, which barring some cap gymnastics unbeknownst to me, should rule the Lakers out of the sweepstakes for his signature.
Plus, the front office will prioritize the signing of promising youngster Talen Horton-Tucker to a contract (although they can go over the cap in signing him using his Early Bird Rights), meaning that cap space will be tight.
However, if Rob Pelinka and the front office were somehow able to make the impossible possible, Paul would be a fantastic fit in Laker Land despite being 36 years old.
CP3 is still an MVP candidate, leading the Phoenix Suns to the second-best record in the NBA at 51-21 on the back of 16.4 PPG / 8.9 APG / 1.4 SPG and ridiculous .499 / .395 / .934 shooting splits.
He’s an elite offensive player (96th percentile Offensive LEBRON), a well-above-average defensive player (84th percentile Defensive LEBRON), a floor spacer, can create his own shot, and is still amongst the league’s best playmakers (99th percentile for Assist Points per 75 possessions, Potential Assists per 100 passes, High-Value Assists per 75 possessions, and Box Creation, as per BBall Index).
His presence would take tremendous amounts of pressure off LeBron from both a playmaking standpoint and as a second vocal on-court leader.
You’ve all seen the positive effect Paul’s leadership can have on a young team like the Suns. Now imagine that same leadership on a team of savvy veterans and NBA champions?
Importantly, CP3 and LeBron are best friends off the court and are two of the most cerebral players in the league, so the on-court chemistry would likely be there instantly.
Unfortunately, I think that the ship has sailed on CP3 to the Lakers ever since “Basketball Reasons” entered our lives. However, out of everyone from the “near-max / max” tier, CP3 is the best fit to don the purple-and-gold. Plus, it’s officially the offseason, where it’s fun to dream of the possibilities, no matter how unlikely they are!
This season’s free agency class is stacked, so there are many more names that this article could discuss. The Lakers’ front office will most likely focus on retooling complementary pieces rather than swing for the fences, but they’ve surprised the fans before.
Which free agents would you most like to see joining the Lakers next season? Leave your wishlist in the comments below!