Chris Paul has won all the recognitions in the NBA aside from the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy.
The 40-year-old has made it to 12 All-Star and 11 All-NBA teams in his career.
Stephen A. Smith recently dismissed comparisons of Tyrese Haliburton to Paul due to the latter’s achievements.
In his 20th season, Paul played all 82 of the league games for the San Antonio Spurs, thereby becoming only the third NBA player to feature in all games at the age of 40.
Although the Spurs did not qualify for the playoffs, Paul showcased brilliance with 8 points and 7 assists per game during the season.
He is an unrestricted free agent in the offseason and one of the destinations for him could be LA.
Paul was a player who was supposed to be playing on the LA Lakers with Kobe Bryant.
However, in 2011, the league vetoed the trade and this meant that he would have to move to the Houston Rockets instead.
At that time, Paul was one of the best guards in the league and him pairing with Bryant was expected to result in a championship.
Over a decade later, the 40-year-old once again has a chance to make the move to the Land of Angels.
He expressed his desire to be with his family, who are currently based in Los Angeles.
“The past six seasons I have lived without them. I’ve been away from them for the last six years. That’s the conversation,” said Paul on the Pat McAfee show.
Paul is friends with Lakers star LeBron James, who has always appreciated the point guard’s ability to perform at a high level.
Although the veteran is 40 and cannot play like his former self, Paul can still be a value addition to the roster.
He proved that last season with the Spurs as he led the team, making a few clutch shots and helping Victor Wembanyama become one of the best young players in the league.
Rob Pelinka outlined the Lakers’ priority as being the center position this offseason, but bringing in a talented free agent like Paul could be something the Lakers do to develop their other young stars.
| Season | Games Played | Points averaged | Assists averaged |
| 2021-2022 | 65 | 14.7 | 10.8 |
| 2022-2023 | 59 | 13.9 | 8.9 |
| 2023-2024 | 58 | 9.2 | 6.8 |
| 2024-2025 | 82 | 8.8 | 7.4 |
The two-time Olympic gold medalist is probably going to be on a veteran minimum deal and having him as a backup guard could solve any issues the team has with production off the bench.
Gabe Vincent, who moved to the team two seasons ago, has not made a great impact since being on the Lakers and he is on the final year of his contract.
Austin Reaves’ name has been thrown in the trade mix and he could be moved if the Lakers want to add another big.
With those two options gone, Paul could fill in and step up for the team like he has in the past few years of his career.
He also has a considerable amount of experience in the playoffs and if the Lakers sign him as a free agent, they could expect professionalism.
