The Los Angeles Lakers are going to be very active this offseason as they look to improve this roster. The clock is ticking on the Lakers championship window so GM Rob Pelinka understands what needs to be done.
With free agency starting on June 30th at 6 p.m. ET, there will be a flurry of moves going on around the league.
The Lakers should be aggressive while looking for depth pieces in free agency and on the trade market. The latest news that has come out is carving out a path for a close friend of LeBron James to join the team.
If the Warriors can’t find a trade for Chris Paul this weekend, he will likely be waived and sign elsewhere for significantly less money, per @wojespn.
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 29, 2024
Golden State moved Paul’s guarantee date on his $30 million expiring contract to Sunday. pic.twitter.com/rHr4xiQcgk
Lakers News: Chris Paul Will Likely Be Waived
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Golden State Warriors are looking to trade Chris Paul but if they can't find a partner, he'll be waived, so that he can sign somewhere for substantially less money. Paul is set to make $30 million for the 2024-25 season, which makes him hard to move.
If Paul is released, the Lakers immediately become a contender to sign the 39-year-old. Paul and LeBron James are very close friends off the court. They would love to play together and Paul would give them a reliable floor general off the bench.
At this stage of his career, Paul can be very effective as a facilitator off the bench while still having a money jumper from the mid-range area. In 58 games for the Golden State Warriors last season, Paul averaged 9.2 points, 6.8 assists, and shot 37% from downtown.
It would likely take a veteran minimum to get Paul to Los Angeles. That is a small price to pay to add a future Hall-of-Famer and a great friend of LeBron James.
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