lebron james chris paul
Getty
LeBron James hugging Chris Paul.
The Los Angeles Lakers have no interest in going after 12-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul in free agency.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Lakers have other more pressing matters to attend to than pursuing the future Hall of Famer.
“The Lakers, meanwhile, are expected to focus their free agent business on addressing their well-chronicled need for a front-line center and trying to re-sign Dorian Finney-Smith, who declined his $15.4 million player option Sunday to become an unrestricted free agent. Sources say the Lakers have registered strong interest in retaining Finney-Smith,” Stein wrote on “The Stein Line” Substack newsletter.
Previously, Stein reported that there is a growing belief that Paul, 40, ” is determined to play closer to his home base in Los Angeles.”
Chris Paul, Lakers
Getty Chris Paul wants to play closer to home.
Paul will enter his 21st season in the NBA. Only LeBron James has played longer than him among all active players.
Two of Paul’s former teams — Lakers’ crosstown rivals Clippers and the Phoenix Suns — are potential landing spots for the veteran point guard, Stein reports, citing league sources.
A reunion with the Suns is a possibility if their unrestricted free agent point guard Tyus Jones signs elsewhere, according to Stein. On the other hand, the Clippers are still weighing whether to pursue him.
Paul averaged a career-low 8.8 points but still dished out 7.4 assists against only 1.6 turnovers. He also normed 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 28 minutes while playing all 82 games. It marked the first time he played the entire regular season since the 2014-15 season.
Not bad for a 40-year-old point guard.
No Hometown Discount
Dorian Finney-Smith, Lakers
Getty Dorian Finney-Smith can leave the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason.
While the Lakers have registered a strong interest to bring Finney-Smith back, the veteran 3-and-D wing is expected to have a robust market in free agency that begins on Monday, June 30.
“Mmultiple contending teams” will pursue Finney-Smith, ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania reports. But Charania is also not ruling out Finney-Smith returning to the Lakers.
Finney-Smith hinted that he will not be taking a discount.
“You see what just happened with Luka (Dončić)? Finney-Smith said in a March interview with Hoopshype.
“So, you’ve got to make sure you take care of yourself first,” Finney-Smith quickly added. “We need to finish the season strong. If we win, everybody eats (smiles).”
The Lakers could only offer Finney-Smith a maximum of three years, $56.4 million after they traded for him in December.
At his age, this could be his last big payday.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported for “The Stein Line” Substack newsletter that Finney-Smith will be one of the top wings at the midlevel market for teams looking for frontcourt upgrades.
If the Lakers get stingy, Finney-Smith is certain to sign elsewhere.
What’s Next if Dorian Finney-Smith Bolts Out in Free Agency?
Losing Finney-Smith to another contender would be a massive blow to the Lakers, who gave three second-round picks, D’Angelo Russell and Maxwell Lewis to acquire him in December.
But if Finney-Smith decides to play elsewhere, the Lakers would gain access to the $14.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception, instead of the $5.7 million taxpayer MLE to pursue a significant free agent.
The 32-year-old forward was Lakers coach JJ Redick’s most trusted wing.
Finney-Smith averaged 28.1 minutes per game for the Lakers, anchoring their defensive turnaround that pushed them into the No. 3 seed in the stacked Western Conference. He averaged 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting 39.8% from the 3-point line.
Finney-Smith’s value to the Lakers skyrocketed after they traded for Luka Doncic in February. They developed a strong friendship during their time together in Dallas.