"LeBron has said he's wanted to play with Chris Paul" - Shannon Sharpe covets LeBron James joining CP3 on Lakers

Even with the offseason just weeks away, it didn't take long for the Phoenix Suns to decide to waive Chris Paul and for the media to pair him with the LeBron James.

With a season that saw the veteran guard's career averages go down, along with a second-round playoff exit, it makes sense why the Suns' front office has been aggressive in restructuring the team.

With the possibility of Chris Paul playing for another team, Shannon Sharpe spoke on FS1's "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed" about the possibility of the Lakers acquiring him in the offseason.

"Before it's all said and done, LeBron has said he's wanted to play with Chris Paul. This will be it," Sharpe said. "You get a true point guard who can initiate the offense, can run pick-and-roll with Anthony Davis and LeBron James, can distribute the ball and not be ball-dominant. I like it. I love the opportunity for this to potentially happen."

LeBron James has played with Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony, who are all good friends of his and are members of the "Banana Boat Crew." The only player who is also a part of that crew that LeBron has not played with is Chris Paul.

A quality point guard who can take the playmaking responsibilities and pressure off of James' hands can be a huge pickup for the Lakers. Considering the uncertainty of James' future before the upcoming 2023-24 season, acquiring Chris Paul can be a nice bargaining chip for LeBron to consider.

Paul finished the 2022-23 regular season averaging 13.9 points per game (44.0% shooting, including 37.5% from 3-point range) and 8.9 assists. During the Suns' postseason run, he averaged 12.4 ppg (41.8% shooting, including 32.1% from 3-point range), 7.4 apg and 5.0 rpg.

Chris Paul has two remaining years on his four-year contract, but after they waive him, the Suns will only have to pay him $15.8 million to complete the sendoff. However, Shannon Sharpe also said that Phoenix can tweak his deal and re-sign him in the offseason on a much cheaper contract.

Looking at the Lakers' roster if they acquire Chris Paul to pair alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis

Depending on which guard between D'Angelo Russell and Dennis Schroder the Lakers move on from, landing Chris Paul in the offseason can make things interesting, especially for LeBron James.

Chris Paul obviously becomes the starter as he can further improve the offense and make things easier for the two superstars in James and Davis. Austin Reaves is still the shooting guard, and either Rui Hachimura or Jared Vanderbilt can be at the small forward position.

Off the bench would either be Russell or Schroder, depending on which player they keep. The Lakers still have Malik Beasley for additional offense, along with Lonnie Walker IV.