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The Los Angeles Lakers have plenty of work to do this offseason. After finishing third in the Western Conference, they were bounced from the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games. The team did land Luka Doncic at the trade deadline, but has massive roster questions for next season. LeBron James is another year older, and the supporting cast struggled in the biggest games. One player to watch is free agent guard Chris Paul. He hinted in a recent interview that he would love to play one more season, but it would need to be in Los Angeles.
Chris Paul To The Los Angeles Lakers?
“I still love to play basketball and I’m in the gym every day..
My decision is about my family more than anything”@CP3 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/G9sEprpPH1
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 5, 2025
Chris Paul has had a legendary NBA career. While he has never been able to make it to the Finals, he has racked up a ton of stats during his 20 NBA seasons. Last year with the San Antonio Spurs, he played in all 82 games and was able to average 7.4 assists per game. The 12-time All-Star has a decision to make. He could retire or try to play another year. He hinted that his decision will be based on his family, which could be good news for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Paul appeared on the Pat McAfee Show and said, “My decision is about family more than anything.” His family lives in Los Angeles, and he also has ties to James and Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick. He has had a longstanding friendship with James and his family, and Paul also gifted a jersey to Redick’s sons. If the Lakers were looking to add a veteran player, Paul could be a perfect fit.
What Should The Lakers Do?
Chris Paul doesn’t solve many issues for the Los Angeles Lakers. Frontcourt depth is what killed the team during their series against Minnesota. Jaxson Hayes was their only true center, and he is undersized. Reports have indicated the team will be aggressive in trying to acquire a big man, but they may have to move some players in order to do it.
Acquiring Doncic leaves the championship window open for the Lakers longer than expected. However, James is entering the twilight of his career. While he can still play at a high level, he isn’t the dominating force he once was. There are plenty of decisions to make this offseason for the front office. Could Chris Paul finally get to play with his buddy LeBron in year 21?
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Nikola Jokic on the cusp of a streak never achieved in 79-year NBA history
Nikola Jokic on Wednesday became the third player ever to start a season with four consecutive triple-doubles, joining Oscar Robertson (1961-62) and Russell Westbrook (2020-21) in exclusive company. If the Denver Nuggets star can make it five in a row against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, he'll achieve a streak never recorded in the 79-year history of the NBA, per the Associated Press. Nikola Jokic on pace to eclipse the Big O Jokic recorded the 168th triple-double of his career on Wednesday, finishing with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the Nuggets' 122-88 blowout victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Serbian star is just 13 shy of tying Robertson for second on the leaderboard and 35 away from equaling Westbrook, the all-time leader. Unless he suffers an injury, Jokic is a lock to surpass "The Big O" this season, considering he amassed a career-high 34 last season. It also doesn't seem far-fetched for Jokic to tie or surpass Westbrook's record of 203 triple-doubles this season. For one, Westbrook, who has assumed a bench role with the Sacramento Kings, won't put up the gaudy numbers he did during his prime with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Furthermore, Jokic's recent career progression suggests a steady increase in the number of triple-doubles year-over-year. Nikola Jokic's rapid-fire triple-doubles Jokic had only 16 triple-doubles when he won his first MVP in 2020-21, a number that rose to 19 when he clinched his second Michael Jordan Trophy the following season. That total increased to 25 when he earned his third MVP in 2023-24, and then to 34 last year, when he became the first center ever to average a triple-double for a season. If the recent trend is any indication, Jokic will likely accumulate at least 40 triple-doubles this season, making him the all-time leader. Another remarkable trend in Jokic's triple-doubles is the rapidity with which he gets them. On Wednesday, he sat out the fourth quarter, marking the 17th time in his career when he reached a triple-double mark while logging less than 30 minutes. According to the NBA, Jokic leads both Robertson and Westbrook for most such games. Jokic similarly had more triple-doubles within three quarters than the entire NBA combined last season. And that was when the Nuggets had questionable depth, leading to the firing of head coach Michael Malone. This season, Denver is significantly better, giving Jokic many more chances to record triple-doubles and sit out the fourth quarter.
Nationals set to hire MLB's youngest manager in over 50 years
The Washington Nationals were one of a handful of teams heading into the offseason needing a new manager. The Nats fired former manager Dave Martinez, who helped lead them to their first World Series title in 2019, ahead of the All-Star break. They then had to decide if they wanted to keep interim manager Miguel Cairo or head in another direction. The Nationals decided to go in a different direction, announcing on Thursday that they are set to hire the youngest MLB manager in over 50 years. Nationals will hire Blake Butera to be their next manager After going 29-43 after taking over for Martinez, the Nationals decided that Cairo wasn't the man to lead them forward. Washington is hiring 33-year-old Blake Butera to be its next manager, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Butera will be a new voice to pair with the new president of baseball operations, Paul Toboni, who took over for former executive Mike Rizzo. According to Passan, Butera will be the youngest manager in more than 50 years. Butera joins Oliver Marmol (39) of the St. Louis Cardinals as the only managers in baseball under 40 years old. In his four-year career as a minor league manager in the Tampa Bay Rays organization, Butera accumulated a 258-144 record. That should bode well for him going to Washington, especially after six straight losing seasons. A former 35th-round draft pick of the Rays, Butera is also a former two-time minor league Manager of the Year in the Rays organization and was the bench coach for Team Italy in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Nationals need to give Blake Butera everything he needs to be successful Being so young and "inexperienced," Toboni and the Nationals organization will need to surround Butera with a veteran coaching staff. In particular, an experienced bench coach to help guide him through being a big league manager. Someone like former Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington would be a good hire to help guide Butera, given his managerial experience and longtime coaching. Coming from the Rays organization, Butera can bring over things he's learned there to help the Nationals improve as an organization. The Rays are consistently at the forefront of analytics and new, innovative ways to build a successful baseball team. Having a young roster and only two players with a decade in the big leagues (Josh Bell and Trevor Williams), Butera should find it easy to connect with some of his younger players, given his age. However, veterans may find it hard to listen to someone as inexperienced as Butera, which he’ll need to work on if the Nationals add any more to help mentor their young core.
Latest Matt Rhule news should end Penn State rumors
The Penn State Nittany Lions can likely scratch another candidate off their coaching wish list. On Thursday, ESPN "College GameDay" insider Pete Thamel reported Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule has signed a two-year contract extension with the program, which will run through the 2032 season. It includes a $15M buyout this season, which should prevent another school from poaching him. Why Matt Rhule was considered a strong candidate to replace recently fired Penn State HC James Franklin After Penn State fired Franklin on Oct. 12, Rhule was immediately linked to the job. As a teenager, the New York native moved to State College, where he became a walk-on linebacker for the Nittany Lions from 1994-97. He clearly still loves his alma mater. "I love Penn State, met my wife there, my alma mater," Rhule told the media shortly after Franklin was fired. "Fan since I was born, I think probably had a Penn State shirt when I was born. I really love [athletic director] Pat Kraft, and I'm sad to see coach Franklin go." While the AD for the Temple Owls, Kraft gave Rhule his first head-coaching job in 2013. Now that he has signed the extension, he can't turn to his old friend again and must explore other options. Where does Penn State go from here? The list of candidates in Penn State's head-coaching search is shrinking. The Indiana Hoosiers signed HC Curt Cignetti, another potential target, to an eight-year, $11.6M contract on Oct. 16. The Nittany Lions could attempt to court Ole Miss Rebels HC Lane Kiffin, who has his team in the thick of the national championship hunt after a 7-1 start. However, if he does leave Oxford, expect him to stay in the SEC rather than flocking to the Big Ten. Some believe Kiffin may be the next HC of the LSU Tigers and Florida Gators. And for any optimistic Penn State fans thinking they can lure ESPN analyst Nick Saban out of retirement, dream on. The former Alabama Crimson Tide HC has said there's "no way" he's returning to coaching. Don't bank on Penn State (3-4) promoting interim HC Terry Smith, especially after losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes, 25-24, in his first game. Instead, it may target HCs Mike Elko (Texas A M Aggies), Clark Lea (Vanderbilt Commodores) and Jeff Brohm (Louisville Cardinals). Penn State alumni may have welcomed a homecoming for Rhule. Now, it no longer looks like a possibility.
Three wild quotes from Louisiana governor Jeff Landry that could wreck LSU head-coaching search
Dolphins' Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips address trade rumors after blowout loss to Ravens
Miami Dolphins pass-rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips were subjects of numerous trade rumors before the Dolphins fell to 2-7 on the season via a blowout 28-6 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. While speaking with reporters after the defeat, Chubb and Phillips addressed their uncertain futures ahead of the upcoming trade deadline, which will arrive at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Bradley Chubb understands "the business of football" amid trade rumors "God has full control," Chubb said, per Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald. "He knows the plans he has for me. I’m just living each and every day, being where my feet are. I understand the business of football. But at the end of the day, I love these guys. I got the C on my shirt for a reason." Before Thursday's game got underway, one report claimed that "the Dolphins aren't looking to offload players" despite the club's record. For an article published on Friday morning, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote that there are "fair questions floating around on whether there are guardrails on the current regime, based on the tenor of conversations" as it pertains to the Dolphins. In short, one wonders if Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and/or general manager Chris Grier could potentially be shown the door at any time. Team owner Stephen Ross may want to hand a to-be-hired regime as many future draft assets as he can get his hands on this fall. Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly among the clubs that could be interested in acquiring some pass-rush help. Jaelan Phillips also knows reality of his situation ahead of trade deadline "It's out of my control," Phillips added about whether or not he'll be traded before Nov. 4. "I would love to stay here. But if I get traded, I get traded." Miami won't play again until the club hosts the Buffalo Bills (5-2) on Nov. 9. It remains to be seen if Chubb and Phillips will still be employed by the Dolphins when that game kicks off.
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