Stephen A. Smith Says Chris Paul Doesn't Want to Be Traded to Lakers
As trade rumors about the future of Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul continue to fly, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith has pointed out one team that may not be among the potential landing spots—the defending NBA champions.
In a video he tweeted Wednesday night, Smith said a move to the Lakers would be "ring-chasing" for Paul, but "not the kind of ring chasing he wants to be a part of":
"CP3 does not want to go to the Lakers. He does not want to go to the Lakers. I don't know the reasons why. I deduce from what I've heard that the reasons he doesn't want to go to the Lakers is because they've already established, they've already accomplished, and there's really nothing to do for them. They would only be doing something for him."
Smith added a move to the Clippers would be ideal for several reasons, including Paul's relationships with newly named head coach Tyronn Lue and team governor Steve Ballmer.
In addition, Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has reportedly expressed interest in adding a star point guard to the roster—a role that would be filled by Paul, a 10-time All-Star and nine-time All-NBA honoree who is coming off his first All-Star campaign in three seasons.
In his first year with the Thunder, Paul averaged 17.6 points, 6.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 70 games and led the team past the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
The Ringer's Ryen Russillo corroborated Smith's report (h/t ClutchPoints' Tomer Azarly):
"Apparently, Kawhi reached out to Chris Paul immediately and was like, 'Hey, you should come here.' So that part is real, the pursuit is real, the interest and the math on it from Paul's standpoint doesn't seem to be all that realistic."
