Getty Chris Paul with Draymond Green.
The Los Angeles Lakers will have to get creative — looking in the “clearance section of the free agent pool,” according to Bleacher Report — as they pursue another championship with Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
Signing 39-year-old guard Chris Paul to a “sleeper contract” could help the Lakers operate on the margins while still obtaining value, according to B/R’s Zach Buckley.
“Chris Paul isn’t technically a part of this free agent class yet, but that could be a matter of semantics,” Buckley wrote on June 6. “The Warriors have between now and June 28 to decide whether they want to guarantee his $30 million salary for next season. With a pricey payroll and other needs to address, it’s tough to see Golden State committing that kind of coin to an aging backup.
“Should Paul reach the open market, the Lakers would likely be prominently placed on his preferred list of landing spots,” Buckley wrote. “His family resides in LA, he shares a close bond with LeBron James and maybe he even feels a sense of unfinished business from the time he was traded to the Lakers only for the league to veto the deal.”
‘Easiest of the Warriors’ Hard Decisions Seems to Be Waiving Chris Paul’
Like the Lakers, the Golden State Warriors have tough decisions to make in the offseason.
Paul’s $30 million contract could be a trade asset in a bigger deal. However, it could also be a contract the Warriors waive.
Keith Smith of Spotrac wrote on June 3 that the Warriors’ “easiest” decision will be waiving Paul.
“The easiest of the Warriors hard decisions seems to be waiving Chris Paul,” Smith wrote. “Paul has a $30 million contract for next season. If Golden State was still competing for titles, the prudent strategy would be to guarantee Paul’s deal and to use that $30 million as salary-matching in a trade.
“Given that the Warriors are resetting, it’s best to waive Paul to begin cutting salary,” he wrote.
That’s the scenario the Lakers would need to happen for them to sign Paul on a “sleeper contract,” according to Buckley, who also listed Derrick Jones Jr. of the Dallas Mavericks and Kyle Lowry of the Philadelphia 76ers as other potential sleepers for the Lakers.
According to The San Francisco Chronicle’s Scott Ostler, Paul’s team option “almost certainly won’t be exercised” by the Warriors.
“If [Steph] Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson all come back, re-adding Paul to that mix will be too much small for the Warriors, and too much old,” Ostler wrote on April 17. “So his return is a longshot.”
How Paul Would Help the Los Angeles Lakers
While Paul, a 12-time All-Star, isn’t the player he once was, he could still be of service. If the Lakers could sign him to a cheap deal, it would be a great decision.
Paul has put together one of the best careers in NBA history, currently ranking with the third most assists ever.
Even if he ran the bench unit for the Lakers, he’s still someone who can facilitate and make plays for others. He’s two years removed from making an All-NBA team, which was the 11th selection of his career.
With the Warriors, he averaged career lows in points, and assists, averaging 9.2 points and 6.8 assists per game.
He’d likely play a similar role with the Lakers at this point in his career, but he’s also proved that he can be used in multiple lineups, and that would give the Lakers flexibility.
At the very least, the Lakers would add another proven veteran who could help some of their younger talent.