Apr 7, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) watches game action against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The latest NBA rumors have Chris Paul drawing interest from the Lakers, James Harden from the Suns and everyone else from Dwight Howard in Taiwan.
In the past few days, as the NBA world prepared for the opening of the conference finals, the NBA rumor mill caught fire. The Suns might trade Chris Paul, James Harden could go anywhere, Doc Rivers has been fired and Dwight Howard is trying to build a super team. Here’s everything you missed.
NBA rumors: Lakers are the betting favorite to land Chris Paul
At the trade deadline, NBA rumors were buzzing about the Phoenix Suns potentially trying to upgrade at point guard, sending out Chris Paul and bringing back Kyrie Irving. Those rumors persisted even after Irving went to Dallas and Phoenix landed Kevin Durant, centered around bringing in Irving in free agency this summer. The way Phoenix wilted against the Denver Nuggets in the second round certainly won’t quiet those rumors.
Since they were eliminated, we’ve heard that the Suns would explore trading Paul this summer and the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly the betting favorite. This isn’t just about Paul’s friendship with LeBron James or the legacy of the voided trade that would have sent him to the Lakers so long ago.
If the Lakers don’t re-sign D’Angelo Russell, decline the player option on Malik Beasley and shed Mo Bamba and his partially guaranteed contract for next season, they’d theoretically be able to absorb Paul’s salary into cap space. That would allow the Suns to wipe him from their books and create space to try and sign Irving. There are a lot of moving parts but if there is any lesson to take away from the past few NBA offseasons it’s that the Lakers usually find a way to get what they want.