Trade rumors surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers' 40-year-old forward have intensified.
It’s at the point where the son of the four-time NBA champion is being asked to share his thoughts on the ongoing drama tied to his future Hall of Fame father.
Interestingly, Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Caudell crafted a trade pitch that would send the Lakers’ retirement-postponing star to the Philadelphia 76ers for an overpaid forward.
“If (LeBron) James is traded, the list of teams that are ready to compete for a title now is small, but there are options out there,” Caudell wrote Wednesday. “James does have a no-trade clause, but there are certainly some teams he might be open to joining. Would the 76ers be one of them?”
“(Paul) George was injured and not very good last season, but if James really does want out, the Lakers could do much worse than adding him.”
“If he can stay healthy and rediscover his form from when he played for the (Los Angeles) Clippers two seasons ago, the Lakers would remain dangerous around (Luka) Doncic, plus the draft picks make the deal worth it. While the Lakers did add Deandre Ayton at center, (Andre) Drummond would give them a one-year option for a backup.”
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Caudell's three-team trade proposal sends James and his son, Bronny, to the 76ers, Gabe Vincent to the Atlanta Hawks, and George, Drummond, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick (via the Clippers), and a 2031 top-three protected first-round pick.
So far, Paul hasn’t played anywhere near the level required to be deserving of the four-year, $212 million contract he signed with the 76ers last offseason.
Paul, known for underachieving in the postseason, likely wishes he could go back in time and replay the entire 2024-25 campaign.
In the 35-year-old’s defense, injuries played a significant role in his unsatisfactory campaign with the 76ers. Still, when Paul was on the hardwood, he didn’t operate like the sizzling shot creator and playmaker Philadelphia was eager to acquire in 2024.
The Fresno State product averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game in 41 contests with the 76ers last season, shooting 43.0% from the field and 35.8% from deep.
If a James and George swap were to occur, the Lakers would need to receive a more impactful version of George (maybe the version that averaged 22.6 points per game on impressive shooting splits with the Clippers in 2023-24) to have any shot of coming out victorious in the deal.
For now, though, Caudell’s trade scenario will remain hypothetical.
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