Back in late 2011, just after the NBA lockout had been resolved, the Los Angeles Lakers appeared to have landed future Hall of Fame guard Chris Paul in a major trade. But that trade was blocked by then-commissioner David Stern, who was acting as the owner of the New Orleans Hornets, Paul’s team at the time.
Instead, Paul was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he spent the next six seasons.
At age 40, he may not be the player he was just a few years ago, but he could still be serviceable for one more year. After spending this season with the San Antonio Spurs, he went on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday and dropped a hint that he would like to play in Los Angeles by saying he wants to be near his family, which lives in the Southland.
That would mean suiting up for the Lakers or the Clippers.
“I talked to my family about it,” Paul said. “My son just turned 16. My daughter’s 12. The past six seasons I have lived without them. … I’ve been away from them for the last 6 years. That’s the conversation. … I want to be dad”
Chris Paul:
“I talked to my family about it. My son just turned 16. My daughter’s 12. The past six seasons I have lived without them. I’ve been away from them for the last 6 years. That’s the conversation. I wanna be dad”
His family lives in LA for those wondering pic.twitter.com/ifHng5EVuH
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) June 5, 2025
Paul made it clear that he doesn’t want to play in the league for that much longer. As great as he has been — and he’s often discussed as one of the greatest point guards in the history of the game — he has never won an NBA championship. He reached the NBA Finals in 2021 as a member of the Phoenix Suns, but they blew a 2-0 series lead and lost in six games to the Milwaukee Bucks.
He averaged 8.8 points and 7.4 assists a game and started all 82 regular-season games this year for the Spurs. While he shot just 42.7% from the field, he made a solid 37.7% of his 3-point attempts.
The Lakers do need improved backcourt depth, and Paul has always been tight with LeBron James. However, they do need to prioritize younger players who are speedy and athletic.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Chris Paul hinted he that may want to play for the Lakers