The NBA draft kicked off on Thursday, free agency officially kicked off at the end of the month, and another offseason has arrived. And while questions like what Charlotte will do with the No. 2 overall pick, Portland with the No. 3 pick, and the future of All-Star guard Damian Lillard dominate the debate, as usual. , the Lakers and Clippers stand out. get into speculation.
The Times’ NBA beat writers Dan Woik, Broderick Turner and Andrew Greif discuss how point guard Chris Paul will be involved in both teams’ plans.
AG: Now, nearly 11 and a half years after Chris Paul arrived in LA, the same conversation is back again. “Paul might get it, but will the Lakers or Clippers get him?” A return to the NBA was perhaps the most likely trajectory in the final season of the NBA. At the same time, league officials who don’t believe Washington is rushing to make a decision have questioned the timing of any move.
This is not the same version of Paul that was coveted in 2011 as an up-and-coming All-Star and cornerstone of the franchise. He’s 38 now, but his postseason influence at Phoenix has often been marred by injuries. But he’s still one of the best offensive starters I’ve ever played. The Clippers are interested in reuniting, said a team official who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter. He has had strong credibility since Clippers coach Tyronn Lue’s season overlapped with the Clippers when he was Doc Rivers’ assistant. He’s famously good friends with LeBron James. Dan, BT and Paul are the Lakers interested at this stage in their careers?
BT: The Lakers would certainly be interested in signing Chris Paul, but only at the bare minimum of veterans. If he can take it away from the Lakers, it would be a good deal for the Lakers and could probably keep Austin Reeves and Rui Hachimura without hurting the salary cap too much. Now that he’s 38, the question is how much CP is left in his body. And if the Lakers re-sign D’Angelo Russell, would he be a backup? CP has dealt with injury issues in recent years, and the Lakers have enough trouble dealing with the involvement of Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
DW: I think BT makes an interesting point between Russell and Paul who is backing who. From what I’ve heard, the idea is that Chris Paul will be the team’s point guard, not The Point Guard, due to age and injury concerns. Ideally, find a player who can take the strain off your shoulders during the regular season to keep Paul fresh for the playoffs. But will it work? I have a question. Paul did a great job transitioning to an off-ball player later in his career, but if he’s pushed further out of the core of the team, his ability to keep his rhythm will be questioned. He’s a demanding leader, but he’s hard to do when he’s on the fringes.
As BT said, I think the Lakers’ interest is mostly in free agency, ideally just in the minimum. I’ll probably sneak in a mini-intermediate level exception if needed. With all this, Paul should still be of real value to any candidate. He’s a great player who can coordinate his attacks perfectly. He is a formidable competitor. You have to ask questions about your health, about relationships, about your health before blindly enrolling, but at least these questions become less serious.
AG: Dan, given what you’ve pointed out, I suspect Paul will have more responsibility with the Clippers. To be clear, my understanding is that Paul’s pursuit does not prevent him from re-signing Russell Westbrook. But the Clippers’ interest in Paul goes back to years of searching for the right point guard to pair with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Lou and George made little secret of their desire to add a “pure” point guard last season, but Paul still embodies that skill type. Lou has had to be demanding on his star players at times over the last three seasons, but Paul’s equally demanding style could add even more responsibilities inside the locker room.
DW: The Lakers are sending a very strong signal that they want the team they formed last season back. Led by players who have re-signed with Austin Reeves and Rui Hachimura. But I think Thursday’s draft will be the first time we’ll know if that’s true. I don’t read too much into who they choose. I’m more interested in whether they’ll use the pick to add players to their roster, perhaps with deals with Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba. Of course, it’s possible that he’ll use a player he picked on draft night later this summer, but Thursday before free agency will be the first signal.
AG: It will be interesting to see which team Paul picks if he’s bought in Washington and given the choice of his next team as a free agent. Both teams can boast of being favorites right off the bat. Even if Paul becomes a free agent, the choice is his. As a member of the Washington Wizards, Michael Winger, who just stepped down from his position as Clippers general manager last month to lead Washington’s basketball operations, will also be selected. And what everyone knows, not just the wingers, is any available asset the Clippers can offer, with owner Steve Ballmer’s willingness to inject a luxury tax into the team’s front office. pay large salaries that match their salaries.
Paul was originally guaranteed about $15 million next season, but is believed to have been increased to $25 million to facilitate a trade with Washington. The Clippers could trade that number successfully in a number of ways. Bringing in Paul would add yet another guard to an already robust roster, with guard Eric Gordon’s $20.9 million salary likely to be one of the targets. The salary is guaranteed on June 28th. What’s remarkable to me is how the deal to fill point guard needs also helps with another priority of strengthening the team’s current power forward rotation of Marcus Morris, Robert Covington and Nicholas. That’s what it means. Batum. Both contracts expire next season. In recent weeks, Morris (who will make $17.1 million next season) has spoken publicly to league officials about his frustration with the sudden role change late last season and the team’s lack of communication with Morris about it. . What about the willingness to keep $11.6 million Robert Covington for another season next season? After all, he played so infrequently that one teammate told me his lack of minutes was “the biggest mystery of the season.” I think the team wants to keep Batum.
