Clippers’ Chris Paul pursuit may give Lakers perfect new free agent target

The Phoenix Suns made the first huge move of the NBA offseason by trading Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and an assortment of draft capital for Bradley Beal. Immediately after the trade, it looked like this would result in Paul joining the Lakers after a theorized buyout with the Washington Wizards.

However, things are not always as they initially seem. Instead of buying Paul out, the Wizards are more likely to reroute him via trade with the Los Angeles Clippers expected to pursue him, per Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes.

This would be a blow for the Lakers as Paul would be an excellent cheap addition to add depth to the roster next season. The problem is that the Clippers also could really use his depth and have the contracts to send back to Washington to make it happen.

It isn’t all bad news, though. If the Clippers do end up trading for Paul it could still have a positive impact on the Lakers as it could give the team a perfect free-agent target to help round out the depth of the roster.

Lakers could pursue Robert Covington in free agency if Clippers trade for Chris Paul.

Robert Covington would absolutely be included in a potential Chris Paul trade for the Clippers. He is on an expiring contract and did not have much of a role in the playoffs for the team last season. He makes perfect sense as a salary filler to send to Washington.

Covington has no real value to Washington as he is not going to warrant much on the trade market. Thus, it makes more sense for the Wizards to save even more money and simply buy Covington out, allowing him to sign with any team he chooses in free agency.

And while Covington is no longer at his best, he still has traits that can be valuable to a contending team. Covington is a flexible wing that can play the three all the way down to small-ball five if the situation calls for it. He also would add a much-needed shooting to the team as he shot 39.7% from beyond the arc last season.

Even if he is only a catch-and-shoot option he would be a solid fit off the bench for the Lakers. Not only that but he would provide a great defensive presence as well. With Covington’s ability to shoot and his defensive flexibility, the Lakers could run some really fun lineups that include both him and Jarred Vanderbilt.

This would take some of the regular-season strain off of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, which is always a good thing. Los Angeles should be gearing up on wings and frontcourt players to do just that and Covington would fit that billing perfectly.

More importantly, the Lakers could theoretically have Covington for cheap. At the absolute most, Covington will get the bi-annual exception. But with the ability to stay in Los Angeles and play for a contender, he very well could sign for the veteran minimum (especially considering he is already getting paid his normal salary in a buyout).