The Los Angeles Lakers are determined to retain LeBron James at all costs this summer, even if that means drafting Bronny James higher than expected and making moves that appease the NBA great. However, not everyone in the organization reportedly feels the same about adding a particular player.
Lakers rumors this summer have already connected the team to potential trades for Dejounte Murray, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young. Meanwhile, Los Angeles is also being floated as a potential landing spot for the likes of Chris Paul or DeMar DeRozan in NBA free agency.
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The Lakers do hold the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and they have some young players to put together in trade packages. While that wouldn’t be enticing enough to land a perennial All-Star guard just entering the prime of their career, it would be enough to find an impactful role player. However, one target seems to be causing some division inside the organization.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the interest level in signing Chris Paul “might not be unanimous” within the Lakers organization. While there are some advocating for it, especially given Paul’s close relationship with LeBron, others in Los Angeles are more opposed to the move.
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Paul is technically under contract with the Golden State Warriors for next season at a $30 million salary. However, the last year of the deal is non-guaranteed and the money could be avoided if he is traded or waived by the deadline on June 28.
- Chris Paul stats (2023-’24): 9.2 PPG, 6.8 APG, 3.9 RPG, 1.2 SPG in 26.4 MPG
Paul, who turned 39 years old in May, would provide the Lakers with depth at point guard and add another facilitator. However, it would also mean rostering two of the oldest players in the NBA and Paul’s addition would still leave the team with weaknesses defensively and in need of perimeter scoring.
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