On Dec. 8, 2011, for roughly two hours and 16 minutes, Chris Paul was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Following the blockbuster that never was, he eventually suited up for the crosstown rival Clippers, pioneering the “Lob City” era before journeying around the Western Conference for the last eight years.
Now, as Paul gears up for free agency ahead of his age-40 season, there’s a chance he could don the purple and gold after all.
While appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” Thursday, Paul addressed his looming decision, noting how his family plays an important role in his future plans, with his goal to retire in Los Angeles.
I talked to my family about it,” he said. “My son is 16. My daughter is 12. The past six seasons I have lived without them. I’ve been away from them the last six years. That’s the conversation.”
Paul also confirmed that his body feels “good” ahead of next season, but that he doesn’t want to play for much longer.
Starting all 82 games for the Spurs, Paul averaged 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists on .427/.377/.924 splits. Although his scoring was inconsistent, Paul proved he can still facilitate at a high level and play very solid defense. With the decorated veteran entering unrestricted free agency, several contenders (the Lakers included) would likely want to add a proven guard to their roster.
Paul’s friendship with Lakers star LeBron James has been well-documented over the years. Aside from facing each other countless times, the two were also gold medalists on the 2008 Redeem Team and 2012 London Olympics squad. But James isn’t the only Laker Paul is close to.
CP3 was teammates with JJ Redick on the Clippers from 2013 to 2017, and the two have formed a bond beyond basketball since then. In a heartfelt postgame moment, Paul and Victor Wembanyama gave Redick’s sons their jerseys to help restart a collection of sports memorabilia that was lost in the Palisades Fire.
Even after two decades in the league, Paul has shown he can contribute to high-level basketball while enduring the grind of an NBA season. With his desire to sunset his career in LA and the Lakers needing some bench help, it would seem like a relatively natural fit if other factors align.
Paul would provide steady facilitating and excel next to LA’s scorers, not to mention his own ability to get buckets from anywhere, especially in the midrange. His ability to stop the ball would also be key for the team’s second unit, which posted a defensive rating of 29.1 among its guards in the regular season (12th in the NBA).
However, the Lakers may not exactly need CP3 if they still believe in Gabe Vincent. LA’s backup point guard recovered from knee surgery and made decent contributions in the rotation this year. Still, he may not be the answer going forward. If the Lakers part ways with Vincent—as some expect them to do given his expiring contract—that could open the door for them to at least consider Paul, who would be a worthy addition on a veteran minimum deal. The Lakers would shake their bench up with a Hall of Fame point guard, and Paul would get his wish of returning to the City of Angels.
