NBA Rumors: Chris Paul To The Lakers? Only If God Is Listening
Reports recently surfaced that Chris Paul has grown more frustrated with the uncertainty surrounding his New Orleans Hornets team. He is demanding a trade as soon as possible.
Paul's top choices are rumored to be the Los Angeles Lakers, the New York Knicks, and the Orlando Magic in that order, and if this is true Lakers' general manager Mitch Kupchak should drop everything and concentrate on getting a deal done.
Forget trying to bring Tracy McGrady into the Lakers' fold, because Paul could be the type of transitional player to bridge the gap when Kobe Bryant finally decides to hang up his sneakers.
Before dismissing this rumor as pure hearsay remember, this is not the first time Paul's name and the Lakers have been mentioned in the same sentence and Paul has previously publicly stated he wouldn't mind wearing the purple and gold.
Even though the Lakers' triangle offense is not predicated on the need for a true point guard Paul supercedes that thinking because he is considered one of the top two lead guards in the NBA.
His tremendous court vision would immediately upgrade an already lethal Lakers' attack, and there would be no shortage of players on the receiving end of his creative passes.
Paul's defense is not extraordinary, but his other talents overshadow that part of his game. So although he is not a shut-down defender Paul remains near the top of the NBA in steals because of his instincts in the passing lanes.
There are few players who can stay in front of Paul's dribble, and his penetration in the lane could make the Lakers' inside game even more formidable than it already is.
So what are the true chances of Paul actually being traded to the Lakers?
From the Lakers' point of view the salary cap is always a concern, and even more so since Los Angeles is already more than $20 million over the cap, and a deal for Paul would send that figure into the stratosphere.
But Lakers' owner Jerry Buss has shown before he is not afraid of challenging the salary cap if it improves the Lakers in a fundamental way. What could be more fundamental than a franchise point guard?
Paul previously said that he and Carmelo Anthony should join Amare Stoudemire in New York and form their own version of a super team, but why not do the same thing in Los Angeles?
The Lakers have much more to offer in terms of a team that is ready to compete, and the chance to play with Bryant and Pau Gasol would enhance any dreams of a quick NBA title for either player.
In order to make a deal for Paul work the Lakers would likely have to part with several players including Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom, and even though the Lakers would part with Odom in a New York minute, I'm not so sure about Bynum.
Bynum has shown flashes of brilliance during his brief time as a Laker, and the franchise has invested plenty of time and money in Bynum as the franchise's face of the future.
Bynum endeared himself to Lakers' management even more during the postseason with his courageous performance while injured, and Kupchak and Buss may be higher on Bynum than at any other time in his career.
But, the opportunity to obtain a player like Paul doesn't come around very often, and if the Lakers are forced to decide between Paul and Bynum, which player do you think they would choose?
If the Lakers are interested in making a deal for Paul they may have to act fast, because once it's a sure thing his services are available, there will be no shortage of suitors clamoring for his presence.
Los Angeles would seemingly have an advantage based on Paul's stated preference, but do the Lakers have the courage to work out a deal which could change the course of their future?
