NBA Rumors: Lakers Eyeing Chris Paul Sign-and-Trade

Following a disappointing run in the 2021 playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to re-tool and get back to the mountain top of the Western Conference. With an entire offseason of recovery under their belts, LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be set on getting the Lakers back in a position to contend for a championship. 

To put it simply, the Lakers' supporting cast was not good enough this season. When Davis went down with an injury in the playoffs, the rest of the Lakers were unable to step up and fill the void he leaves. This resulted in the Phoenix Suns eliminating the defending champs en route to reaching the NBA finals. 

The Lakers front office appears to have their eyes on a member of the Suns as a potential trade target. Marc Spears of The Undefeated reported that the Lakers are looking to add a veteran point guard, and Chris Paul is on their radar. 

For a deal like this to be possible, Paul first has to decline his $44.2 million player option and become an unrestricted free agent. Due to limited cap flexibility, the Lakers would have to work out a sign-and-trade with the Suns to get Paul in a Lakers' uniform. 

At this stage in his career, Paul is looking to contend for a championship. Phoenix completely shattered expectations this postseason, but it is questionable if they could pull out a run like that again in a fully healthy conference. 

Paul has shown that he still has more than enough left in the tank to aid a contending team. If you pair him alongside LeBron and AD, the Lakers are back in the title picture. 

With the relationships he has built within the Suns, it is unclear what Paul plans to do moving forward. If getting another shot at a title is what he truly wants, the Lakers might be his best option of doing so. 

Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN and Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @KevinMcCNBA.