Meanwhile, in projecting what a new Lakers front office could eventually look like, multiple sources around the league suggested to ESPN that the recently retired Chris Paul could have a role. Paul and Iger became close while the point guard played for the Clippers and Iger was a season-ticket holder. Their relationship has only strengthened over the years, sources said, with Iger hosting a book launch event at his house in 2023 for Paul's memoir, "Sixty-One," and Paul visiting Iger at his Disney office in Burbank, California, in March to support his friend when he cleared out his belongings to close out a 52-year run with the company. ESPN ESPN
More on Chris Paul: Recent HoopsHype Rumors
Ramona Shelburne: ‘Chris Paul is a very good friend of Bob Iger's. He just recently retired, so he's available. I know he has some production company designs that he's done. I think he's got the world as his oyster, he can do whatever he wants, but if I'm Bob Iger, I think one of my first calls is to Chris Paul and asking how he would like to be involved, if he would like to be involved, etc. But I certainly think that's a name to watch as we go forward here.’ — 8/13/2026 YouTube Oh No He Didn't: Dave McMenamin: "JJ Redick got an extension after his rookie year as a head coach with the Lakers. My understanding is it aligns his contract with Rob Pelinka's...I think JJ Redick's probably in a really good spot here...but will have to see where all this goes" Ramona Shleburne: "There's a couple names you should pay attention to: Chris Paul, very close friend of Bob Iger's. He's sort of a mentor to Chris Paul. Chris recently retired. He's available, incredible basketball mind. I don't know what that means for him but I expect they'll be talking" — 8/13/2026 x.com Ramona Shelburne: "Bob Iger is a huge NBA fan. He used to have Clipper season tickets. I got to know him because he would sit center court at the Clipper games. He got to be really good friends with Chris Paul. I don't think he is still a season ticket holder for the Clippers. I didn't see him at any games last year in Intuit Dome. He is really the trump card here, guys. He is an extremely popular man in NBA circles. Remember the bubble that saved the 2020 season? That was a lot of Bob Iger and Chris Paul and Adam Silver getting on the phone and just making that happen." — 8/13/2026 YouTube Now that Bob Iger and Josh Kushner have taken center stage, Lakers fans are keen to know about their respective backgrounds. They’re not going to like comments Iger made about his NBA fandom during a 2021 interview on “The Old Man and The Three” podcast, which have resurfaced on Reddit on Wednesday. When speaking about his relationship with Chris Paul and his involvement in the notorious NBA bubble in Florida during the COVID 2020 season, Iger said, “I am a Clippers fan. Having moved from New York to Los Angeles back in 2000, and being a big NBA fan, I needed a team to root for. And in my youth, the Lakers were a big rival of the Knicks, the team I grew up rooting for. So I couldn’t root for the Lakers very easily; it just was not in my DNA. So I decided to adopt the Clippers, which was actually a good thing, because their seats were a lot cheaper than the Lakers,” Iger added. — 8/12/2026 New York Post Channing Frye: "I think Allen Iverson is the one of the top three most influential players ever to play basketball. But if we're looking at careers, Chris Paul's career is better than Allen Iverson's." — 8/8/2026 YouTube Players such as Chet Holmgren, Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving and NBPA president Fred VanVleet all provided feedback that helped bring the renovated space together. “I’m excited to be a part of shaping the PLYRS UNTD Performance Center to meet the unique demands of the brotherhood,” said Holmgren, a forward/center for the Oklahoma City Thunder. “As professional athletes, there is so much work and preparation that goes on behind the scenes to perform at our best. Our new LA facility is equipped with the wellness, recovery, and training resources we need in the offseason and beyond.” — 8/4/2026 USA Today Sports Yossi Gozlan: Johni Broome fits into the $2.3 million trade exception the Clippers created by trading Chris Paul last season. They still have plenty of flexibility to make additional moves with $38 million in luxury tax space. They also now have 8 second-round picks through 2033. — 7/28/2026 x.com Chris Paul fuels return speculation with Jayson Tatum workout video — 7/2/2026 The Big Lead He will become the 13th player in NBA history to reach a 20th season, joining LeBron James, Vince Carter, Chris Paul, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis, Robert Parish, Kyle Lowry, Udonis Haslem, Jamal Crawford, Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. "I knew a few off the top of my head, but I hadn't seen the list," Al Horford told ESPN. "It's hard to believe. It's something that, for me, I'm very grateful. It's just so hard to be in this league for that amount of years. There's a lot of commitment, a lot of sacrifice and time. I still feel like I'm able to contribute and have an impact on a team." — 6/25/2026 ESPN Fullcourtpass: Isaiah Thomas says if the Spurs kept Chris Paul they would’ve won the NBA Finals: “I believe if they had Chris Paul on this roster, they would’ve won the finals… His experience & who he is would’ve helped De’Aaron Fox, Castle, Harper.” — 6/22/2026 x.com
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Chris Paul could have role in Lakers' new front office?