Chris Paul is said to be contemplating a big switch in the offseason. At 35, the Point God wants to make a go on the NBA title, and achieving that with the Oklahoma City seemed unlikely to happen. His best bet is to join a title contender, possibly in Los Angeles.
The former Clippers star hopping to the Lakers' side of the fence seemed automatic for Paul. He is an L.A. resident and he is a close buddy of LeBron James. But the most obvious reason - the Lakers are the reigning NBA champs and the odds are on their side next season.
To be clear, however, CP3's options for next season are not limited to Los Angeles. According to Silver Screen & Roll, the NBA veteran is shooting for a big market team if indeed he will need to depart from OKC. And star's choices have been narrowed down to two - the New York Knicks and the Lakers.
If the decision rests on Paul alone, the choice is easy - he heads next to the Lakers and play to win the NBA title with James, said the report, pointing to the analysis shared by Jonathan Macri.
For OKC, giving Paul his release papers will not be a struggle. While the Thunder appreciate how the star performed, in which he exceeded all expectations, the organization is deemed more focused on roster rebuilding.
If would-be trading partners can offer young talents that would prove as long-term investments for OKC, the team will surely start a negotiation. But most importantly, it's likely that Oklahoma is keen to see Paul go and it's all about business.
To keep Paul on the OKC lineup, the team will need to prepare $85 million for the star's salary. Without a prospect of even contending for the title, that is a huge amount of money that is best used elsewhere.
So as pointed out by Fadeaway World, Oklahoma would only be too happy to talk about trade on Paul and if the package placed on the table is tempting enough, the Point God should be ready to ship out as soon as the deal is finalized.
As for the Lakers, getting their hands on Paul would be costly. First to consider is how to free up the money needed to pay for his salary, which for next season will amount to at least $41 million. To make the trade happen, the L.A. club will be forced to say goodbye to the likes of Danny Green, Avery Bradley, JaVale McGee, Kyle Kuzma, Talen Horton-Tucker, Quinn Cook, and Alex Caruso.
Giving up these players indeed is a big move for the Lakers but the team is getting a giant return anyway. Paul is nearing the end of his playing days but in his current shape, he still boasts of the playmaking and leadership skills that could potentially win the Lakers their back-to-back NBA championship.
