Lakers Rumors: Why Chris Paul and LeBron James in LA is a terrible idea
By Jason Reed
The Banana Boat Crew is back in the news and has now found flooded its way into the Los Angeles Lakers rumors this offseason.
There have been plenty of Lakers rumors for the last 12 months. From Paul George to Kawhi Leonard to LeBron James to Klay Thompson, nobody has been safe from the speculation around the Los Angeles Lakers.
And that is perfectly natural. The Lakers play in a massive market and are in need of a true superstar for the first time since Shaquille O’Neal joined Los Angeles. With $61 million in practical cap space this summer, the front office has done nothing to slow down this speculation.
However, the latest Lakers rumors are some of the most interesting to date. Most fans are already familiar with the LeBron James ties to the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, his Banana Boat crewmate, Chris Paul, has been thrown in the fun as well.
Former ESPN NBA analyst and current New York Times writer Marc Stein suggested that LeBron could recruit Paul back to Los Angeles to play with him on the Lakers (h/t Bleacher Report).
This makes sense as the Houston Rockets are already a serious candidate for LeBron due to the Chris Paul connection. However, in Houston, Paul and LeBron would also be dealing with James Harden, who may not mesh well with two other stars.
Thus, since Paul is an unrestricted free agent and LeBron has a player option, it is not inconceivable to see the two heading to a clean slate to lead the Lakers to a handful of NBA Championships.
However, although it is plausible and possible, it is not practical for the Los Angeles Lakers. Here are three reasons why Chris Paul and LeBron James teaming up in LA is a terrible idea.