If the Suns Release Chris Paul, Should the Lakers Try to Sign Him?

Could Chris Paul finally be coming to the Lakers? This time, for real? Wednesday, multiple reports out of Phoenix said the Suns were looking at releasing Chris Paul, which would make him a free agent. The release could take a few different forms, including one where Paul could return to the Suns for less money than he's scheduled to make next season. But he could also end up on the free agent market, where he'd instantly be one of the more sought after names. And of course, one that would instantly be assumed to be coming to the Lakers. After all, he was almost a Laker about a decade ago. He's tight with LeBron. He's ring chasing. And he lives in LA in the offseason. Put it all together, and it makes a lot of sense. Plus, he'd be a nice fit with LeBron and Anthony Davis, particularly on a team where Austin Reaves would be around to help everyone with ball handling and scoring duties, and the Lakers could still potentially have the ability to keep one or both of D'Angelo Russell and Dennis Schroder. Or would that be too much wishful thinking? What kind of impact could Paul make with the Lakers? How good would he have to be? How much better would he be than other free agents the Lakers could sign, particularly at the taxpayer midlevel or even the veteran's minimum, the two contract levels Paul would likely sign at if he wanted to be a Laker? Could the Lakers make it work if they had Paul, and protected his health with Russell and/or Schroder? If they can't keep those guys around (for whatever reason) how does that change the calculus? Is it better to think of Paul as an "and" player (someone the Lakers add while still keeping everyone else who matters) or an "or" guy? (Meaning he'd replace someone.) The downstream impacts of a CP3 signing are potentially significant. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: CP3 could be released by the Suns. Should the Lakers be interested if he is? SEGMENT 2: What does CP3 potentially bring to the Lakers, at age 38? SEGMENT 3: Under what circumstances would it make sense to sign him? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Birddogs Go to birddogs.com/lockedonnba and when you enter promo code, LOCKEDONNBA, they’ll throw in a free custom birddogs Yeti-style tumbler with every order. eBay Motors For parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit. eBay Motors dot com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed. PrizePicks First time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDON FanDuel Make Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices