The Los Angeles Lakers knocked on the door of another trip to the NBA Finals. But despite LeBron James’ heroics and Anthony Davis’ defense, they just couldn’t get the job done.
James isn’t getting any younger and needs help now more than ever. The Lakers’ title window is closing right before their eyes, so they need to make moves soon to make the most of it.
With that in mind, NBA insider Zack Buckley of Bleacher Report hinted at the possibility of a sign-and-trade involving D’Angelo Russell to getChris Paul in Los Angeles.
NBA Rumors: Lakers Could Trade For Chris Paul
(Transcript via Bleacher Report)
L.A. doesn’t have a natural table-setter to complement James. Russell, Dennis Schröder and Austin Reaves can all initiate offense, but they’re better as scorers than passers. Paul, meanwhile, still ranks among the Association’s best decision-makers, having just averaged 8.9 assists per game against only 1.9 turnovers.
He’d help the Lakers maximize each position, and he’d consistently put James and Davis in favorable scoring situations. Paul would even elevate the supporting cast by knowing where his teammates are most effective and learning how they like to be set up. He’d also be a defensive upgrade over Russell.
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The Suns, meanwhile, might be willing to lose Paul’s passing to get Russell’s superior scoring and shooting. Their offense runs through Devin Booker and Kevin Durant a ton anyway, so they might get more out of a scoring-focused Russell than they would Paul’s distributing.”
Of course, this version of Paul might not be what the Lakers need, but he’d still be an upgrade as a facilitator and table-setter, assuming he can stay healthy throughout the playoffs, which is a big ‘if.’
As for the Suns, they’d pair Devin Booker with one of his best friends and would get a healthier, younger player to try and make another deep postseason run next year.