The Los Angeles Lakers saw their 2022-23 campaign come to an end in the Western Conference Finals and they have been linked with a whole host of big names since.
There have been numerous reports linking them with Kyrie Irving and a recent one claimed they had internal discussions regarding a trade for Damian Lillard or Trae Young. NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, however, doesn’t see the Lakers pursuing a trade for a big star this offseason.
“There’s no big-game hunting out there for this Laker organization,” Wojnarowski said on Get Up. “In this league right now with a new collective bargaining agreement, you can’t really have three max contracts, three superstars, and expect to have any depth on your roster.”
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That was always the big issue with trading for a star here. With this new CBA, teams can no longer spend as freely as they once did, and acquiring a third star would mean a team would have little to no depth.
It just makes a lot more sense for the Lakers to instead bring back the likes of Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. They would be able to get in more quality pieces along with them in free agency as well and build a more well-rounded team.
The squad last season showed they had what it takes to compete with the very best in the Western Conference. Had LeBron James, who was playing with a torn tendon in his foot, been fully healthy, they could have been the team representing the West in the Finals.
The Lakers Are Interested In Chris Paul
The Lakers aren’t really in a position to go after a big star, but they could go for someone like Chris Paul. Team insider Jovan Buha reported the Lakers would have a strong interest in signing Paul if he does get waived by the Phoenix Suns.
Paul isn’t the star he once was, but he is still a good playmaker who had averages of 13.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 8.9 APG, and 1.5 SPG this season. Signing CP3 to the veteran’s minimum would mean the Lakers would get a good starting caliber player and at the same time, it also allows them to use their exceptions on other quality players.
He would also lift the playmaking burden from LeBron James and could be a very good signing.
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