Lakers Should Keep a Close Eye on Suns' Chris Paul amid NBA Trade Rumors

The Point God market is open for business.

The Phoenix Suns have received a "flurry" of trade calls about Chris Paul as the calendar creeps closer to June 28, when his $30.8 million salary for the 2023-24 NBA season would become fully guaranteed, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Los Angeles Lakers would be wise to keep a close eye on these proceedings. While a trade for Paul would be tricky, the Lakers loom among his "potential destinations" if he reaches free agency, per Wojnarowski. That could happen by either the Suns waiving Paul or a cost-cutting team acquiring him and not guaranteeing the rest of his salary.

If Paul hits the open market, the Purple and Gold should be ready to pounce.

Playmaking Is a Need

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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 20: LeBron James #6 and D'Angelo Russell #1 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on during the game against the Denver Nuggets during Game Three of the Western Conference Finals on May 20, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

Despite LeBron James clearing his 38th birthday in his 20th NBA season, the Lakers were uncomfortably reliant on his shot-creation and playmaking. In fact, his 33.3 usage percentage was his highest since 2009-10, per Basketball Reference.

L.A. has tried keeping another creator alongside James, but recent attempts haven't panned out. Russell Westbrook was a poor fit from the start, as a ball-dominant player with an erratic-at-best jumper. D'Angelo Russell provided better spacing, but he's never been the best passer or most efficient scorer.

Paul would be a godsend, at least as a table-setter. The 38-year-old might be slowing down as a scorer (he's set a career low in points per game each of the past two seasons), but his passing remains razor-sharp. You can still fit an acreage between his averages in assists (8.9) and turnovers (1.9).

He could find easy shots for James, Anthony Davis and all the support pieces around them. Paul would also help keep the floor spaced. His 1.7 triples were his most in four seasons, and his 37.5 percent splash rate was comfortably clear of the league-average mark of 36.1.

Other Options Are Iffy

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LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 28: Kyrie Irving #2 of the Dallas Mavericks greets LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers as he attends a basketball game between Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies Round 1 Game 6 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs against Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on April 28, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The Lakers have other options at point guard, but none are guaranteed, and a few are particularly risky.

The simplest (and perhaps likeliest) option is re-signing Russell, but L.A. just saw the potential pitfalls there. When his shooting went haywire in the postseason, he basically became unplayable. He averaged just 23.5 minutes in the Western Conference Finals and lost his starting spot in the last contest.

They could, in theory at least, roll the dice on reuniting James with Kyrie Irving. But the mercurial point guard seems focused on the Dallas Mavericks. And even if the Lakers lured Irving out west, they wouldn't have any clue how often he'd be available for them, as he's played just 163 games over the past two seasons combined.

L.A. could make a huge push for Fred VanVleet, but his market could be so costly it forces the Lakers to make sacrifices elsewhere (like losing Rui Hachimura or even Austin Reaves if he finds an enormous offer sheet). The Lakers could even try wrestling Damian Lillard away from the Portland Trail Blazers, but that's not happening with their limited trade assets.

Lakers Could Sign CP3 and Still Have Money to Build out Roster

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Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) drives around Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

L.A.'s offseason options are often presented in this-or-that terms. The Lakers could either pool their resources to land a third star or focus on continuity and maintaining the depth they created at the trade deadline.

Signing Paul might be a third option that allows for some of both Columns A and B.

Now, Paul might be a star in stature only at this stage of his career, but again, he remains a top-shelf decision-maker. He has a bankable, fully elite skill. Not a lot of players can say that. Letting him create for the likes of James and Davis could elevate this offense, which ranked 19th in efficiency, per NBA.com, and possibly nudge it toward the top 10.

Meanwhile, if the Lakers could sign Paul at a reasonable rate—he already has $15.8 million coming his way even if he's waived—they could keep the funds necessary to retain their top free agents. That means finding new deals for Reaves and Hachimura and possibly having enough flexibility to snag more niche role players, like an extra spacer or a backup big.