Chris Paul is currently a member of the Golden State Warriors.
That being said, between the front office choosing to let Klay Thompson leave and the financial realities facing the organization, it appears increasingly likely that Paul is on his way out.
Golden State has until June 28 to either fully guarantee the one-year, $30 million remaining on Paul’s contract or waive him. The latter option seems most likely.
Once Paul is free to go wherever he wants, there is a very good chance he will return to Los Angeles. Both the Lakers and Clippers have expressed some degree of interest in the future Hall of Famer.
“I keep hearing that Paul, if he actually makes to free agency at some point, would draw interest from the Clippers as well as the Lakers,” NBA insider Stein wrote in his newsletter.
“Paul’s desire to play as close to his L.A.-based family as possible is well-known, but I’m told interest in bringing him to the Lakers might not be unanimous within the organization despite Paul’s well-chronicled friendship with LeBron James.”
Complicating matters on the Clippers’ side is the fact that Russell Westbrook has a $4 million player option he can accept. If he chooses to, having him, James Harden and Paul all in the same backcourt may prove to be clunky.
On the Lakers’ side of things – Paul has been linked to them for a while. The question is simply how much productivity he can actually offer them.
Last year he averaged 9.2 points, 6.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds in just over 26 minutes per outing. He wound up suiting up in fewer than 60 games for the Warriors.
Is that really what the Lakers need right now?
Paul’s preference in all this seems clear. He likely wants to be with the team closer to competing for a title. If Paul George returns to the Clippers, and if Westbrook doesn’t opt in, that is the Clippers.
But if George leaves and Westbrook returns, Paul will likely prefer to join James and the Lakers.
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
