Report: Lakers expected to be at ‘forefront’ if Chris Paul is bought out by Wizards

With Chris Paul part of the Bradley Beal trade and potentially set to be bought out by the Wizards, the Lakers could be the favorites to sign him.

The arms race in the Western Conference had a huge development on Sunday with Bradley Beal heading to the Phoenix Suns. While there are plenty of questions remaining about what the roster will look like for Frank Vogel’s new side next season, there is a tangible link to the Lakers here.

Included in the deal is Chris Paul as he will head to Washington. Only recently did Paul and the Suns agree to find him a new team or a new situation. Now, with his deal only partially guaranteed for this season and Washington likely to buy him out, Paul seems set for free agency.

And waiting for them will be the Lakers, perhaps at the front of the line. According to longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein, the Lakers would be ready and waiting for Paul if he were bought out.

It’s unclear as of now if Washington will buy out Paul. According to at least one report, if Paul doesn’t want to play for the Wizards, they would find a third team to trade him to.

This would likely rule out Paul to the Lakers, though they do have the salaries in Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba to make a deal work. But as reported by Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, the Clippers could be the front runners for him in a trade.

Ultimately, if it’s a trade, it’s hard to see the Lakers being the team that gets involved. If he’s bought out, the Lakers are a much more likely landing spot.

What they would use to sign him is the next question, but that would be a question to answer down the road. And right now, it seems like an issue they very well may not have to tackle.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.