NBA (DR)

While the conference finals prepare to deliver their verdict, the 26 other teams are already planning their summer.

This is particularly the case for the Warriors, Lakers and Magic, sleeping giants for the first two, and young growth in the making for the other, who each dream of a run towards the title.

A 5-player trade is also being discussed, and it would send Chris Paul to Los Angeles, a decade after his famous aborted trade.

There are several ways to end a season. With the satisfaction of a duty accomplished, of course, but also with hopes for the future… or, worse still, with frustration and the feeling that certain things must change.

It is probably this last option which takes precedence among the Lakers and the Warriors, both authors of particularly frustrating seasons.

As LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul and Klay Thompson each age, approaching the twilight of their careers, time is running out to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy one last time.

That’s good: the two teams could help each other so that each increases their chances of achieving this Holy Grail, all with the help of Orlando.

Los Angeles, Orlando and Golden State united in a summer blockbuster?

Indeed, at the dawn of a summer where the Western Conference is on the move, the American media Fadeaway World imagined a 5-player trade in which Warriors and Lakers would deal together, teaming up with the Magic. Here is the proposed deal:

Los Angeles Lakers receive: Chris Paul, 2nd round of 2024 draft (via Warriors)

Golden State Warriors receivers: Jonathan Isaac, Anthony Black

Orlando Magic receive: D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, 2026 1st round draft (via Warriors)

By analyzing this suggestion team by team, the Lakers would thus recover a real “floor general” in the person of CP3, capable of managing the team’s weak times with the second unit when LeBron James is resting on the bench.

The friendship between Paul and the King is no longer in doubt, and there is no doubt that the two men would like to play together for at least a year.

For their part, the Warriors would especially recover Jonathan Isaac, less prominent with the Magic, but capable of bringing his length and versatility on the wing.

According to insiders, however, it is rather Klay Thompson that the Florida franchise is eyeing in order to strike a big blow during the summer. It remains to be seen whether these rumors will materialize into significantly greater interest.

Finally, Orlando would continue its interesting reconstruction by giving a second chance to a dying Gabe Vincent in Los Angeles, and especially by banking on D’Angelo Russell alongside Paolo Banchero.

D-Lo blew hot and cold on the purple and gold side, and the time seems to have come, after a near-trade at the last deadline, for everyone to follow their respective paths.

This trade is obviously just a suggestion from one American media outlet among others, and there are no rumors to this effect at this stage. There is no doubt, however, that these three teams will be particularly active on the market, with a single objective in mind: to maximize the final years of their respective stars, and to unearth the long-awaited ring.