The backcourt was an area of weakness for the Los Angeles Lakers this season, which concluded with the 2019-20 champions being bounced in the first round of the playoffs.
The Purple and Gold reportedly will try to resolve the issue this offseason, potentially in the form of one of the NBA’s better veteran guards.
The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears in a column published Wednesday shed light on the Lakers’ search for point guard help.
“According to sources, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have been on the hunt for veteran point guard, and (Chris) Paul is on the list,” Spears wrote. “There have also been talks about Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook being a potential candidate to move back home to Los Angeles in a sign-and-trade deal that could include free agent point guard Dennis Schroder, forward Kyle Kuzma and guard Talen Horton-Tucker, sources said.”
Paul has a player option for the 2021-22 season, which he all but surely will opt in to given the fact it’s worth $44.2 million. Westbrook is in line for a virtually identical salary for next season and has a player option worth a shade over $47 million for the 2022-23 campaign.
If deciding between the two, one has to imagine the Lakers would prefer Paul, who is longtime friends with James and would be a better team fit. Both players would require some juggling to acquire, however.
