Report: Lakers would have ‘strong interest’ in Chris Paul if he is waived or stretched by Suns

It seems like the Los Angeles Lakers continue to have their eyes on future Hall of Famer Chris Paul as a possible target this offseason.

“The Lakers would have strong interest in signing Chris Paul if the guard is waived or stretched by the [Phoenix] Suns, multiple team sources told The Athletic,” wrote Jovan Buha.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski previously reported about the Lakers possibly being interested in signing Paul, who might be on his way out of Phoenix this summer.

The Suns are apparently exploring multiple options with the 12-time All-Star.

Despite one Eastern Conference general manager recently saying that it is Paul’s dream to play with LeBron James and the Lakers, Paul recently stated that he wants to stay in Arizona.

“I don’t want to be anywhere else,” Paul told NBC’s Phoenix area affiliate. “You’ve never heard me come in and say I don’t want to be here you know what I mean. But I understand the business of this league, the dynamics or whatnot. So we’ll see.”

The North Carolina native would undoubtedly be a great addition to the team, especially if he were to accept a low salary. If the Lakers signed Paul to a minimum deal, they would then have no trouble retaining Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, two of their most important impending free agents.

While Paul has dealt with some injuries over the past few seasons, he’s still produced pretty well when he’s been on the floor. Since joining the Suns before the start of the 2020-21 regular season, the former first-round pick has averaged 15.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game on 48.0 percent shooting from the field and 36.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Pick-and-rolls involving Paul and Lakers big man Anthony Davis would surely be very successful. One thing the Lakers would have to be wary about with a Paul signing is his minutes.

He just recently turned 38 years old and has shown some signs of regression. Los Angeles would probably need to monitor his minutes very closely throughout the regular season in order to ensure postseason availability.

For now, all the Lakers can do is wait and see if the 11-time All-NBA selection winds up on the open market. It’s sure to be an exciting summer for the organization as it looks to improve the roster after getting swept in the Western Conference Finals by the Denver Nuggets.