NBA Rumors: Chris Paul-To-Lakers Trade Would Be ‘Nightmare’ For Warriors Next Season

The Golden State Warriors may have finished the 2019-20 NBA season as a lottery team, but they are already emerging as one of the heavy favorites to fully dominate the Western Conference and bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy next year. That’s no longer surprising to most fans, as the Warriors are set to have the healthy trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green back on their roster before the start of the 2020-21 NBA season. However, Golden State’s road to championship won’t be easy, as other powerhouse teams in the Western Conference are aiming to further improve their rosters this fall, including the reigning NBA champions, the Los Angeles Lakers.

In a recent article, Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area created a list of trades that the Warriors wouldn’t want to happen in the 2020 offseason. These include the blockbuster deal that would send Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul to the Lakers. Schrock believes that the “Big Three” of CP3, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis would be a “nightmare” for the Warriors next season.

“Chris Paul showed he still had a lot left in the tank during his renaissance year with the Thunder. Now, OKC might be ready to cash in and get his salary off the books. The obvious landing spot for Paul is the one the Warriors don’t want to see. We know LeBron James and Paul are good friends and Paul would fill a clear need for the Lakers. He would give LA another ball-handler who the Lakers can run the offense through, create his own shot and take some of the load off James and Anthony Davis.”

It’s easy to understand why the Warriors wouldn’t want to see Paul going to the Lakers. He may already be on the downside of his NBA career, but he could still bring tremendous help to the Lakers, especially on the offensive end of the floor. Paul’s arrival in Los Angeles would make them a more dangerous team offensively and immediately solve the major problem in their backcourt.

Paul would provide the Lakers with secondary playmaking and shot creation that would lessen the burden on LeBron James’ shoulders. Aside from what he could contribute on the offensive end of the floor, CP3 is also capable of guarding Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, who would likely be Golden State’s No. 1 scoring option next year.

Bringing CP3 to Los Angeles would undeniably force the Lakers to sacrifice several members of their rotation, but it would be worth it if it could help them win their second consecutive championship next season.