Chris Paul’s hopes of winning an NBA Championship were once again shattered when the Phoenix Suns were eliminated from the playoffs in the second round.
Following the early exit, many believe that Paul’s time with the Suns is on the brink of ending. So there are rumors that the Suns will look to trade the veteran point guard. The Los Angeles Lakers, among others, are viewed as suitors to trade for CP3 if he’s available. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently proposed a hypothetical trade that could help the Lakers in landing Paul this summer.
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Chris Paul
Phoenix Suns Receive: D’Angelo Russell
“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.
“The Lakers wouldn’t have the widest window by adding the 38-year-old Paul, but that’s already the case since James is the same age. Making the most of this championship window with James is more important than trying to keep one open after he’s gone.”
Sure, CP3 is no longer the player he once was. But the veteran point guard can still be a floor general for a championship contender, at least, that’s what the Lakers will hope. Paul averaged 13.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 8.9 APG in the regular season.
As for the Suns, Buckley thinks adding D’Angelo Russell would further bolster the Suns’ offense-first mindset.
“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.
“They might have to cut costs to make this deal a possibility, as they’re flirting with the cap apron already. But there are ways to trim salary, like moving Deandre Ayton to a club with cap room or incentivizing someone to take Landry Shamet off their hands.”
If this trade goes down, it could shake things up in the NBA. Additionally, CP3 has a close relationship with LeBron James, so he wouldn’t take long to get adjusted to playing in the iconic Purple and Gold jersey.
Will fans finally see Chris Paul play for the Lakers after his trade to the team was vetoed in 2011? Only time will tell.
The Lakers Are Concerned About Losing D’Angelo Russell If He’s Moved To Bench
The Los Angeles Lakers are currently battling for a spot in the 2023 NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets.
D’Angelo Russell is not having a decent series, as the Nuggets are targeting him on several possessions. The right choice would be to bench him, but the Lakers are apparently concerned that if they bench Russell, they could lose him.
“Multiple team sources told ESPN that there is concern the team could ‘lose’ the 27-year-old point guard if he views the adjustment as a demotion after starting every other game this postseason. Schroder has already shown he can be comfortable as a substitute, as he didn’t start until Game 6 against Golden State.”
Russell is averaging just 9.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG, and 4.0 APG while shooting an abysmal 36.8% from the field and 12.5% from downtown in the playoffs.
As mentioned earlier, if the Lakers bench him, they are afraid of losing him. But at the same time, this could be a blessing in disguise for the Purple and Gold to trade for Chris Paul.
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