Just over four months ago, the Dallas Mavericks did the unthinkable by trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. This was a move that shocked the entire NBA world, as no one could believe that Nico Harrison would trade Doncic to the Lakers less than a year after leading Dallas to the NBA Finals.
Fast forward to the first offseason since the trade, and the Lakers are in a great spot to steal another player from the Mavs' grasp. Chris Paul was linked to the Mavericks in free agency last month, and when observing a recent statement of his, he may be heading to the Lakers to team up with Doncic and LeBron James.
On an appearance of ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show," Paul talked about his future playing in the NBA, and while he made it clear he doesn't want to remain in the NBA much longer, his family is his top priority when thinking about all of this.
Mavericks can't offer Chris Paul the one thing the Lakers can: family
"It’s with my family more than anything," Paul said when asked about his future in the NBA. "I talk to my family about it. My son just turned 16. My daughter is 12. The past six seasons, I’ve lived without them...I want to hoop...But at the same time, I want to be dad."
Paul clearly wants to spend more time with his family as his career winds down, and Los Angeles would be the perfect spot for him to do that. His family already lives there, and he could join the Lakers to be near his family, play with his old friend James, and have the chance to compete for a ring.
Paul is still searching for his first ring, and he'd have a great opportunity to do that with the Lakers. Joining that Lakers squad would be the best of both worlds for him, as he could compete on an elite team in the West while being so close to home, and his desire to continue playing in the NBA while also being a father could lead him to Los Angeles.
Paul's desire to be around his family more could also lead him to join the LA Clippers, as he played six seasons in LA and had tremendous success there, and the Clippers can't be ruled out when speculating about Paul's next team he will play for.
The Lakers are obviously the more glamorous option, as they are always in the media, especially with Doncic and James as their superstars, but a homecoming with the Clippers would be an outstanding story as well.
Both Los Angeles teams will likely have an edge over the Mavericks when it comes to Paul's free agency due to the close bond he shares with his family, but don't count the Mavs out either. On that same segment on ESPN, Paul discussed how he has worked out with Cooper Flagg some, giving him high praise along the way.
Dallas would give him a golden chance to contend for a title, and adding Flagg to the core of Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, Dereck Lively II, and Kyrie Irving made them one of the most terrifying teams in the Western Conference.
Now, adding Paul to that core group would make them even more deadly, and he would have the unique opportunity of getting to start at point guard until Irving returns from his ACL tear while also mentoring and playing alongside Flagg. Getting to start on a contender one last time could be something Paul considers when thinking about where he wants to sign in free agency, and the Mavs would likely have that spot waiting for him if he decided to play away from his family for one more season.