Fansided

NBA Rumors: 3 intriguing Chris Paul destinations that could finally win him a ring

By Josh Hill

Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 03: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers is fouled by Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns as he spins in the second quarter during game six of the Western Conference first round series at Staples Center on June 03, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 03: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers is fouled by Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns as he spins in the second quarter during game six of the Western Conference first round series at Staples Center on June 03, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. /

2. Los Angeles Lakers

If you’re a fan of basketball narratives, Chris Paul with the Lakers is the only signing you want to see this summer.

Think of all the loose ends that would be tied up.

Paul was traded by the Hornets to the Lakers back in 2011 but the deal was infamously vetoed by then-commissioner David Stern. Signing with the Lakers would bring that trade full circle almost exactly 10 years later.

When the deal was nixed, Paul ended up in Los Angeles anyway but with the Clippers. There he toiled away on teams that were good enough to make the playoffs but never good enough to win anything — a stigma that remains attached to Paul’s legacy. Signing with the Lakers allows him a chance to win a title in the Staples Center and stick it to the Clippers for not building a championship-winning roster around him, despite the many efforts made to do so.

Then there’s the LeBron element. There have been no secrets made about how tight their friendship is and a union in Los Angeles would be the culmination of LeBron making sure to play with every one of his Banana Boat Buddies.

Above all, the Lakers put Paul in the absolute best position he’s ever been in his career to win a title. A core of LeBron, CP3, and Anthony Davis — if healthy — puts an already loaded Lakers team even further over the top in the Western Conference.

The Lakers are strapped for cash this summer, but the luxury tax is something they’ve never been afraid to pay and the olive branch has already been extended. If the financials work, there might not be a better landing spot for Paul.

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