While Paul would be an excellent addition to the Lakers, he remains a major risk considering his injury woes and what effect that has had over the course of this career.
Two of Paul's six seasons have consisted of the star point guard playing under 70 games. In 2009-10, Paul only played in 45 games due to knee injuries that consisted of a torn meniscus.
While Paul remained relatively healthy in 2010-11, his numbers were not the same as they once were.
Paul remains a hot name and is still considered a superstar, but his career may be already on a slippery downward slope.
This past season was Paul's worst season statistically, where he only averaged 15.9 PPG along with 9.8 APG. While a move to Los Angeles would certainly take some of the weight off of Paul's shoulders, the Lakers are giving up a lot to attain his services.
If the Lakers do pull off the trade, they will be without All-Star power forward Gasol. Gasol has assisted the Lakers in winning their last two NBA titles, and without him the Lakers pretty much do not have a low-post scorer.
While many believe the Lakers are going to make up for that with a move for the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard, the possibility of that happening remains slim.
If the owners had a big enough problem with the Lakers receiving Paul, it would be unlikely that they would be OK with a move for Howard as well.
Without Howard or Gasol, the Lakers would have a very weak and thin backcourt. They still will have Andrew Bynum, but he really hasn't been consistent or healthy enough to make up for the potential loss of Gasol.
The Lakers could be putting themselves in quite a rut with the move for Paul. Sure, there is a lot of potential to what Paul could bring to the Lakers, but it remains to be see...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
