The NBA Draft and free agency are just around the corner, which means that the next couple of days are going to be flooded with rumors of potential trades, signings, and shocking moves that may or may not go down.
One of the players that aremost likely to be dealt next week is Chris Paul, whoâs no longer a part of the Oklahoma City Thunderâs plans and that would love to play for a contender and pursue his first-ever NBA Championship.
And, even though the Los Angeles Lakers looked like a logical destination and the best fit for Paulâs skills, ESPNâs Stephen A. Smith recently claimed that CP3 isnât interested in teaming up with his lifelong friend LeBron James because the Lakers are already established.
Stephen A. Smith Explains Why Chris Paul Doesnât Want To Play For The Lakers
âCP3 does not want to go to the [Los Angeles] Lakers. The reasons he doesnât want to go to the Lakers is because theyâre already established, theyâre already accomplished, and thereâs really nothing to do for them,â Smith said. âThey would only be doing something for him, and that is ring-chasing, and thatâs not the kind of ring-chasing that he wants to be a part of in terms of stacking the deck. Heâd rather go some place where he could be himself and be the leader that he is,â He concluded.
Thatâs a fair and valid point, assuming Paul actually feels that way. Chris Paul is widely considered one of the greatest point guards in the history of the game, but the lack of playoff success has tainted his otherwise flawless rĂ©sumĂ©.
Even so, it would be hard to judge him for teaming up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis at this point in his career. Heâs aging, yes, but heâs still one of the top-tier two-way players in the league, and itâs not like heâs goig to be carried to a title.
Then again, if he believes that heâll be better off somewhere else and a move to a different team wonât tarnish his legacy, then heâs also earned the right to call the shots and decide where heâs heading to next.
