Lakers Predicted To Finally Land All-Star Guard This Offseason

The Los Angeles Lakers have a shot at landing this future Hall of Famer this summer.

Oct 7, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) and guard Chris Paul (3) and guard Klay Thompson (11) reacts after a foul is called against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports / John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers are on the brink of the most significant summer in their franchise history. The choices they make in the coming months could shape the destiny of this team for the rest of the decade. 

The Lakers are gearing up for a summer that could be a game-changer, much like the previous season, but this time, it's about translating that potential onto the court. The summer has started on a less-than-ideal note for the purple and gold, but a promising draft, free agency, and the possibility of a trade could flip their fortunes. L.A. might be in the running for a player of All-Star caliber, but the twist is that it could be someone at the peak of their career or one at the twilight. As per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, he predicts that the services of the 12-time All-Star guard Chris Paul will be secured.  True, he's far past his All-NBA prime and was the sixth man on a No. 10 seed last season, but he still can give a contender some juice off the bench.

Pincus wrote that Paul could be an excellent fit for Los Angeles. 

"With that in mind, along with the Warriors ducking as much luxury tax as possible, Chris Paul isn't going to get his non-guaranteed $30 million from Golden State," Pincus wrote.

"Once he clears waivers, put Paul, finally, on the Lakers at a $3.3 million minimum contract. The 39-year-old can come off the bench or even start, though the Lakers will need to limit his minutes, given he's just a few months younger than the oldest player in the league (James, 40 in December). While L.A. needs to infuse the roster with youth, the team also needs smart, veteran players. Paul was almost a Laker in 2011, but the deal was scuttled by David Stern, the late NBA commissioner who was operating as the owner of the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans) before it was sold to the Benson family.

Paul never got to play with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, but now he gets the chance to don the purple and gold alongside James."

Paul to the Lakers is long overdue, and there's a real shot of that happening this summer. The 11-time All-NBA guard will likely become a free agent this summer as the Golden State Warriors have until June 28 to decide whether they want to exercise Paul's $30 million team option for the 2024-25 season or waive him. The chances of the Warriors signing a 39-year-old, injury-riddled player for that much money are extremely low, which means he will be a free agent. More importantly, he will be a low-cost free agent. 

The Lakers could lose D'Angelo Russell this offseason to free agency, and Paul, at a low cost, would be a significant addition for L.A. Paul is coming off another season where he failed to reach 60 games played. In one season in the Bay Area, Paul averaged 9.2 points per game (a career low), 6.8 assists, and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 44 percent from the field and 37 percent from behind the arc. 

Paul to the Purple and Gold was tarnished once in 2011; could it finally happen in 2024? And can it meaningfully impact L.A.'s championship chances?

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