Lakers Projected to Land Future Hall-of-Famer in Free Agency

Once the Los Angeles Lakers make their decision on their next head coach, their attention will turn towards improving the roster. They will be active on the trade market and free agency to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis with enough talent to keep their championship window open.

In his most recent article, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report made predictions about where he thinks prominent free agents and trade candidates will end up. One projection he had for the Los Angeles Lakers was that they would end up with Chris Paul.

Chris Paul will likely be released by the Golden State Warriors, who don't want to guarantee his $30 million non-guaranteed salary due to their financial limitations. This will open the door for the Lakers to swoop in and bring him to Los Angeles on a veteran's minimum deal.

"With that in mind, along with the Warriors ducking as much luxury tax as possible, Chris Paul isn't going to get his non-guaranteed $30 million from Golden State. Once he clears waivers, put Paul, finally, on the Lakers at a $3.3 million minimum contract."

- Eric Pincus, Bleacher Report

This makes a ton of sense for both Paul and the Lakers. Even though Paul is not the player he once was, he is still a quality point guard who excels at setting the table for his teammates on the offensive end. He has slowed down on the defensive end but in limited minutes, he can still make a difference with his intelligence and experience.

At age 39, Paul will likely come off the bench and be the backup point guard depending on who the Lakers get as starters. As a passer and playmaker, Paul is still better than the alternatives on the roster.

Plus, he is a great friend of LeBron James. Having CP3 around would go a long way in keeping LeBron happy for the foreseeable future.

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