Lakers might land 12-time All-Star in huge trade: ‘Exactly what they need’ COLIN KEANE 12 hours ago • 9:40 pm WAT
The Los Angeles Lakers have multiple roster needs, something Anthony Davis talked about recently.
In a sit-down interview last week with ESPN’s Shams Charania, Davis said that the Lakers should acquire a center before the trade deadline.
AD’s not wrong, but what if LA could pull off a deal that brings in a center and a future Hall of Fame point guard at the same time?
It seems like a too-good-to-be-true scenario for Lakers fans, but Fadeaway World’s Eddie Bitar proposed a Lakers trade involving the San Antonio Spurs on Monday that would significantly improve LA if the deal came to fruition.
The Trade
Lakers receive…
- Chris Paul
- Zach Collins
Spurs receive…
- Rui Hachimura
- Gabe Vincent
- Jalen Hood-Schifino
“Adding Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers gives the team exactly what they need: a seasoned leader and one of the best playmakers in NBA history,” Bitar said.
“Even at nearly 40 years old, Paul is proving he can still orchestrate an offense with precision.”
“Adding Paul would allow James to play off the ball more, saving energy for late-game situations.”
Furthermore, Paul’s knack for creating easy looks would elevate Anthony Davis … (and) open up the offense, allowing the Lakers to climb from their current 17th ranking in scoring.”
“Zach Collins also brings versatility to the Lakers’ frontcourt. His ability to protect the rim at 6’11” makes him an ideal backup or even a potential frontcourt partner for Davis. With Collins, the Lakers gain a two-way presence they’ve been missing, especially after losing Jarred Vanderbilt for most of the season.”
Bitar’s proposal does begin to look less realistic when considering the Spurs’ side of things. While Bitar argued that San Antonio is in a full rebuild, that’s not entirely accurate given the fact that they’re still in the playoff hunt.
“Flipping Paul for younger pieces would give San Antonio additional assets to build around Wembanyama while clearing minutes for developing players,” Bitar said.
“Spurs are in full rebuild mode, and moving Chris Paul aligns perfectly with their long-term vision.”
It’s hard to imagine the Spurs parting ways with Paul unless they were getting a piece better than Hachimura in return. Paul has meant a lot to San Antonio’s culture; his mentorship of young stars like Wemby and Stephon Castle is valuable to the Spurs.
There’s also the rumor floating around that the Lakers don’t want to trade Hachimura, although they might make an exception if the CP3-Collins package became available.
Paul, a 12-time All-Star, turns 40 in May.
