Chris Paul joining Los Angeles Lakers a ‘real possibility’

Chris Paul is expected to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Golden State Warriors are expected to move on from the 12-time All-Star, who has a non-guaranteed $30 million contract for next season. While his market is unclear, the Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly emerged as a potential landing spot.

During a recent appearance on Buha’s Block, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report stated:

Chris Paul will probably be a free agent. There’s a reasonable chance he gets traded or just cut by the Warriors and LeBron and him obviously have a strong relationship. There’s a universe where the Lakers sign Chris Paul. I don’t think it’s outrageous… I would be remiss without mentioning Chris Paul as a real possibility. It makes a lot of sense to me.

Pincus noted that Paul has struggled to stay healthy in the postseason throughout his career. His role would likely be reduced on the Lakers, which could help preserve his health down the stretch of the season. He is coming off, arguably, the worst season of his career. He played 58 games, averaging 9.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.1 blocks in just 26.4 minutes per game. In his 19th season, he shot 44.1% from the field, 37.1% from three-point range and 82.7% from the free-throw line.

Blake Griffin denies rumors of Chris Paul feud

Blake Griffin and Chris Paul were teammates on the Los Angeles Clippers for six seasons. The team failed to advance past the second round despite having two perennial All-Stars in their prime.

Speaking on the Run It Back podcast, Griffin denied rumors that the two did not get along, stating:

You watch a clip, you see something, you run with it, it’s a story, it gets clicks, it’s great. And then on top of that, once we all left and went our separate ways, first time I played against JJ [Redick], we got into it. First time I played against CP, we got into it. It just happens.

The nature of bringing people who are uber competitive, even if they played together for a long time and now they’re going against each other, you’re still on the other team. It’s all love after the game, but during the game, no. So that feeds into it as well.

It’s a narrative, and what’s the better story? ‘Oh these guys hate each other’ or ‘yeah, they’re great guys and they all get along, they just didn’t win’. That’s not a story.

While they were unable to find team success, both players thrived from an individual standpoint. Griffin made four All-Star and All-NBA Teams in their six seasons as teammates, while Paul received each honor five times.

Blake Griffin puts the rumors to rest that him and CP3 don't get along ⬇️@blakegriffin23: "It's a narrative, and what's the better story—'Oh these guys hate each other' or 'yeah they're great guys and they all get along, they just didn't win.'. That's not a story." pic.twitter.com/cHCukTdyuY

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 16, 2024

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