Chris Paul Oklahoma City Thunder
Photo: Noah K. Murray, USA TODAY Sports

Chris Paul prefers to play for the Los Angeles Lakers or the New York Knicks next season, according to Jonathan Macri of Knicks Film School.

As Macri reports, Paul will not likely remain with the Oklahoma City Thunder and wants to join either the Lakers or the Knicks.

“I’ve been told by a league source that Chris Paul prefers his next basketball home to be either in L.A. or N.Y. (Los Angeles is where he resides full time) and that has created some modicum of leverage in the ongoing negotiations between the sides.

I’m also told that there is a deal on the table that is comfortable from Sam Presti’s perspective, and the ball is in Leon Rose’s court,” Macri reports, via the Lakers Daily.

Paul, who averaged 17.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists, has two years left on his current contract, worth around $85M.