Team reporter: Paul s name is frequently mentioned, but he is not the first choice for the Lakers substitute point guard

The Athletic's Los Angeles Lakers reporter Jovan Buha recently conducted a live broadcast, and he also answered questions from netizens during the live broadcast, in which he also talked about the Lakers' search for a substitute point guard this summer to enhance the depth of the team's second team. It is worth mentioning that Buha mentioned a name, that is Chris Paul, a backcourt veteran who is about to become a free agent, but it seems that Buha doesn't think Paul has a high possibility of joining the Lakers this summer.

Buha said: In terms of the candidates for point guards, I think the market situation at this position will be more active than other positions. Chris Paul's name has been frequently mentioned by everyone in recent times. But I personally won't regard him as the Lakers' first choice for the substitute point guard this summer. I think at least at this stage, he is just a substitute point guard choice for the Lakers in the middle.

In the NBA regular season this season, Paul played all 82 games as the starting point guard for the San Antonio Spurs. During his 28-minute playing time, he averaged 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.3 blocks, and 1.6 turnovers and 1.8 fouls. He shot 42.7%, three-point shooting percentage 37.7%, and 92.4% free throw shooting percentage. Paul's overall performance this season is quite good. He has also shown excellent passing and organizational skills, and he also has rich experience and excellent personal defensive abilities on the defensive end. Paul's performance in scoring has also declined significantly, and it is indeed difficult for him to take on more responsibilities in this regard. After all, Paul is also a 40-year-old veteran. It is not realistic to expect him to play a role in all aspects just like when he was young.

According to previous news, since the Spurs' backcourt positions have already overflowed, Paul should not continue to play for the Spurs this summer. Paul's old club, also the Lakers' city rival, the Los Angeles Clippers are very interested in Paul and hope to sign him to improve the team's second team's competitiveness, and Paul is also highly interested in returning to his old club. But this may also be closely related to what kind of contract the Clippers can offer Paul this summer. Paul should attract the attention of many playoff-level teams. His ability should actually exceed the base salary, and he no longer needs to prove his strength. Based on various situations, it should not be that the Lakers do not want to sign Paul, but that Paul will not regard the Lakers as his target team.