Paul wants to return to Los Angeles? The Clippers have a position & Money Lakers have a young star & Banana Boat Friendship

Translator's note: The original text was published in CBSSports. The data in the text were as of the time of publication (June 10th local time), and the date involved has been converted. The views in the article have nothing to do with the translator and the platform. Chris Paul, who is about to enter his 40s season, has been separated from his family for six years. Chris Paul has played in seven cities during his brilliant NBA career, but none of them has more significance to his legendary career than Los Angeles. The team he played the most regular season and playoffs, the Los Angeles Clippers, is there, and the team he never wore a jersey for the infamous incident is there. In 2011, Paul was briefly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, and then the league president David Stern vetoed the deal for "basketball reasons."

Since leaving Los Angeles in 2017, Paul has played in five NBA cities, but his family has not followed him to all of these places. As Paul revealed last week on the Pat McAfee Show, his family has remained in Los Angeles when he played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. And now, as Paul is about to turn 40 (and his 21st season in the NBA), he does seem to be hoping to end his career closer to home.

"I talked to my family about this. My son just turned 16 and my daughter was 12. I haven't lived with them for the past six seasons. I've been away from them for six years. That's what we're talking about. I want to be a good dad." Paul explained to McAfee.

Luckily, if Paul wants to return to Los Angeles to reunite with the kids, the Lakers and the Clippers should be interested in him. Although Paul is obviously no longer a star player, he is still an extremely efficient role player last season. Paul started all 82 games with the Spurs, shot well, remained an outstanding playmaker, and for players his age, he was in the same physical condition as expected. At this stage of Paul's career, he was a substitute, but a useful substitute, and the Lakers or the Clippers would be happy to get him. The question here is, which team Paul is on would be more reasonable?

From the current basketball level, the answer is the Clippers. The Lakers already have absolutely plenty of ball holders due to the presence of Luca Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reeves, but the substitute point guard was a key issue for the Clippers last season. Kevin Porter Jr. performed poorly most of the time before being sent off in the middle of the season. Bogdan Bogdanovic, who traded from the Atlanta Hawks, performed mixed. It may be important that the Clippers can provide Paul with a much clearer job. Part of Paul's motivation for signing with the Spurs last year was the simple desire to actually play. The

The Clippers are likely to be able to provide more money as well. As of now, the Clippers' total salary is about $12 million lower than the luxury tax line. This allows them to use a full middle class special case of about $14.1 million. At the same time, the Lakers are currently close to the No. 1 rich line. For the moment - we will talk about this again later - this allows the Lakers to take the taxpayer middle class exception to recruit Paul, about $5.7 million. This may not be a bidding war, as there are only two teams involved, and Paul is about to turn 40. But if money is a factor, then the Clippers can really offer more.

Of course, this is based on the assumption that the Clippers are willing to provide this contract. Although Paul is still a useful player, he is far from the best candidate the Clippers can get with that money. With only the Brooklyn Nets expected to have a considerable cap space this summer, the middle class exception is expected to give the Clippers a chance to compete for almost any player in the free market. The Clippers may want Paul, but are they willing to give up younger, more comprehensive players for this? The answer is likely to be no, at least at that price point.

There are also interpersonal relationships that need to be considered. Paul and James Harden played for the Houston Rockets in the 2017-2019 season, and the relationship was not harmonious when the two parted ways. “It was Harden who made this [swearing] thing,” a league source said to Yahoo Sports reporter Vincent Goodwell about the deal that sent Paul to the Thunder. “He wanted Paul to get out of there.” In an interview with Chris Haynes in 2020, Paul said he and Harden “don’t talk, communicate, and have nothing.” Their interest in working together again may be limited.

is on the other side, and the opposite is true. LeBron James has wanted to play with Paul for years. Paul is the godfather of James' second son Bryce James, and he is also the only member of the "Banana Boat Brothers (including Dwayne Wade and Cameron Anthony)" who has not played on the same NBA team as James. Back in 2016, James publicly expressed his desire to play with the three of them for a season, and he made a very interesting statement in the process. "I really hope that we can all play together until our careers are over," James said in an interview with Howard Baker. "At least one, or one or two seasons - me, Me, Me, Wade, CP - we can play together for a year. To be honest, I'm willing to cut the salary for that."

It's obvious that Wade and Anthony have retired, so the possibility of the four of them joining together is no longer there. But the possibility of James and Paul playing side by side still exists, and if the Lakers can get that salary cut proposal, it can actually bring them a lot of benefits.. It is reported that James was willing to cut his salary last offseason to help the Lakers chase a big-name star by signing first and then changing or middle-class exceptions. In the end, the Lakers failed to pursue Klay Thompson, so James accepted a contract that was close to the maximum salary. In all respects, James plans to execute his player options at a similar price this summer.

But given the weak Lakers' roster, such a salary cut would greatly help James chase the fifth championship ring - and possibly help Paul win his first. Assuming James is willing to accept a salary cut in the range of $15 million to $20 million, this will free up enough money for the Lakers to sign a younger role player with a middle class exception — most likely a center or an outside defender — and then sign Paul with a biennial exception, which would be slightly more than $5 million. The Lakers will be hardly limited to below the first tycoon line, but the main part of their lineup will be built before considering the impact of potential deals.

Of course, there is no guarantee that Paul's arrival will make James give up money, and if he does not cut his salary, there is no guarantee that the Lakers will be interested in signing Paul at any price above the base salary. This is a good summary of the current situation of both teams: both arguments for and against working with Paul exist. The Clippers could provide Paul with a clear role and a more convenient way to provide contracts, but his relationship with Harden was a barrier. And considering Paul, Harden and Kawhi Leonard's age, the Clippers' path to the championship will be full of difficulties. The younger Luca Doncic will give Paul a better chance of winning the ring with the Lakers, and his friendship with James is another advantage for them, but the basketball-level fit will be troublesome and their financial situation will be a little more complicated.

So the current answer is "Let's wait and see". If any team sees Paul as a real option, its offseason operation will reflect this. We will see this in other actions they make and consider. The fit between the two teams is not perfect, but if Paul really wants to end his career in Los Angeles, at least one of the teams will prove to be good enough.