NBA Free Agency Rumors: Chris Paul reportedly telling people LeBron James wants to go to L.A.

You have to talk everything with a grain of salt here, but Chris Paul having information on LeBron James’ desire to go to the Lakers does make some sense.

Once the playoffs ended, everyone’s attention immediately shifted to various teams’ cap sheets in an attempt to maybe predict where LeBron James might be heading this summer. One such potential destination was the Houston Rockets. According to Stephen A. Smith of ESPN, Chris Paul (one of the main reasons LeBron might’ve considered Houston) is not sounding all that confident in the possibility.

“According to my sources, several things are happening. A) Chris Paul is telling folks LeBron ain’t trying to come to Houston. He wanna be in LA,” said Smith. “These are things I’m getting through the grapevine. Point number two: Folks are not so sure Paul George is coming to L.A. From what I’m being told, Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder are going to back up the Brinks truck for Paul George. They’re going to offer him the max.”

Let’s start with the Paul quote.

It’s perfectly fair for people to want to take a Stephen A. Smith report with a grain of salt. Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to do that with just about any report this time of year. Still, it’s always worth bringing up that Smith nailed LeBron to Miami. He’s definitely become more character than reporter since then, but when he’s willing to claim sources on something, it’s a decent practice to take note, even if you’re doing so with extreme caution.

Paul is undeniably one of the closest players to James in the entire NBA. The two have been, by several accounts, working to team up in some fashion for quite a while now. If we are to believe this report and Paul is telling people he doesn’t think LeBron is going to Houston and has his eyes on the Lakers, that’s absolutely noteworthy.

The information on George is interesting if we combine it with what Smith is reporting Paul is saying. If there’s one thing the last few years of player movement has taught us, it’s that stars want to team up with other stars. I find it really interesting that even with a report that the offseason’s biggest star might be heading to the Lakers, George (whose interest in L.A. is very well known) might opt to stay in OKC.

I’m not going to hold it against you if you are going to ignore a report from Stephen A. given his current standing on the spectrum from journalist to TV personality. He does come from a journalism background, though, and is undeniably plugged in with various NBA circles.

The two tidbits of information are noteworthy on their own but when combined, are downright intriguing.