The Los Angeles Lakers ‘Plan A’ for the 2023-24 season revolves around three players — Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Chris Paul.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Paul is still active in the Lakers’ summer plans, although their primary priority is renewing the contracts of Reaves and Hachimura while signing the veteran point guard via free agency.
“The Lakers’ current Plan A, which calls for re-signing free agents Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura and trying to sign Chris Paul as a free agent should Paul make it to the open market in the wake of his inclusion in the Beal-to-Phoenix trade,” Stein wrote.
At the time of writing, Paul is bound to Washington as part of a blockbuster Bradley Beal trade. That said, the Lakers are still keen on pursuing the former Suns guard.
The challenge for the Lakers would be if the Wizards waived Paul’s contract and allowed him to enter free agency. He will be on the radar of multiple teams — the LA Clippers being reported as one of the teams trading for him directly from the Wizards. The Purple and Gold have their options, but should they indeed be serious about landing Paul, they will hope for things to go their way.
The Lakers Need To Address Their Point Guard Conundrum Ahead Of The 2023-24 Season
Whether it’s Kyrie Irving, Paul, or springing a surprise with any available big name, the PG issue would be one of the things the LA front office will look to sort out.
Earlier, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha wrote that the Lakers were keen on getting Paul to play alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, with an alternate plan to retain the services of D’Angelo Russell.
“The Lakers would have a strong interest in signing Chris Paul if the guard is waived or stretched by the Suns, multiple team sources told The Athletic,” wrote Buha.
“Here’s what you need to know: Signing Paul to a veteran’s minimum contract would allow the Lakers to use one of their exceptions on another player to bolster their depth. Another option the Lakers have discussed is signing Paul and retaining D’Angelo Russell to truly solidify their point guard position, according to those sources.”
Paul to the Lakers will surely be a massive boost to their playmaking department. With a young guard in Russell, they have experience and youth that would ease the their PG woes.
Keep your eyes out for an interesting summer in LA.
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