2 NBA Teams Emerge As Serious Chris Paul Trade Frontrunners

Chris Paul’s first and likely only season with the Golden State Warriors didn’t go as planned.

The relationship got off to a bumpy start early, and it never really recovered after that. Everyone maintained their professionalism, of course, but Paul never made sense for this particular Warriors group.

This summer Golden State will get rid of Paul by whatever means are available to them. Maybe via trade if one comes along. Perhaps just by waiving him.

But either way, the future Hall of Famer will be playing elsewhere come next season.

As things presently stand, two teams have emerged as the frontrunners for his services.

“Chris Paul will probably be a free agent,” NBA insider Eric Pincus told Jovan Buha this week.

“There is a reasonable chance he gets traded or just cut by the Warriors. LeBron [James] and him obviously have a close relationship. There is a universe where the Lakers sign Chris Paul. I don’t think it’s outrageous… I would be remiss without mentioning Chris Paul as a real possibility. It makes a lot of sense to me… Is Chris coming for the minimum? I don’t know… I don’t want to say he comes cheap to the Lakers, but in the absence of a better offer I could see that.”

If not the Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs are also a legitimate suitor for Paul.

“A potential team to watch, should Paul and the Warriors part ways, is San Antonio,” Marc Stein wrote not long ago.

“Among the early personnel rumbles in circulation: The Spurs could emerge as a Paul suitor if they decide to pursue some veteran know-how on a short-term contract basis to furnish presumptive Rookie of the Year winner Victor Wembanyama with more seasoned help in Year 2.”

Paul’s fit with both the Lakers and Spurs seems far more seamless than what he had to deal with in Golden State. That said, at this point in his career, it is hard to see how he could be a legitimate difference-maker for anyone.

Chris Paul’s Personality Is A Huge Red Flag

While Paul’s skills will obviously land him in the Hall of Fame one day, his personality is a huge red flag. This is a guy who has beefed with everyone from referees to opposing players to his own teammates.

He is definitely the problem.

In the case of both the Lakers and Spurs, patience and a good temperament is going to be necessary to deal with the pressures both squads face.

Is Paul prepared to be a good teammate at this stage of his career? Time will tell.