Chris Paul on Team-Friendly Contract Could Help LeBron James, Lakers amid NBA Rumors

The Los Angeles Lakers could spend the 2024 NBA offseason searching for a third star.

Despite being a 12-time All-Star, Chris Paul can't help scratch that itch. Not at this late stage of his storied career.

He might still be worth a pursuit from the Purple and Gold, though, as his ball control, veteran know-how and offensive organization could all be valuable commodities for this club. (It also probably can't hurt that he has a longstanding friendship with LeBron James.)

This version of Paul isn't worth a budget-busting contract, but he won't necessarily require one. His $30 million salary for next season is non-guaranteed, per Spotrac, and if the Golden State Warriors duck out of that deal, perhaps the Point God would be open to a team-friendly pact.

That should immediately pique the Lakers' interest. And it isn't some pie-in-the-sky concept, either.

Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus told The Athletic's Jovan Buha that Paul "is a real possibility" to join the Lakers.

"There is a universe where the Lakers sign Chris Paul," Pincus said. "It makes a lot of sense to me. Is Chris coming for the minimum? I don't know. I don't want to say he comes cheap to the Lakers, but in the absence of a better offer I could see that."

The interest from Paul's side is easy to see.

The Lakers are a good team with a chance to be really good. They may not be inner-circle contenders at the moment, but they aren't necessarily far off from that status. They had the Association's sixth-highest winning percentage after the All-Star break (.654) and served as a decent stress test for the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the opening round.

For being a club of this caliber, L.A. may also have a surprisingly sizable role to offer him. D'Angelo Russell, who holds an $18.7 million player option, is far from a lock to return, and if the Lakers don't want to splurge on his replacement, they may see Paul as a more cost-effective option.

How much more cost-effective? Well, the answer to that question probably dictates whether the Lakers are interested or not.

They won't be flush with cash unless James exits, in which case there'd be zero chance of a Paul pursuit, so they'll be looking to pinch pennies where they can, especially if they're aiming as high as it sounds like they might. If Paul is open to a bargain-priced pact—and given the amount of coin he's collected, he might be—then the Lakers should be open to offering it.

He has lost some attributes to the aging process, but his decision-making is sharp as ever (6.8 assists against 1.3 turnovers this season), and he still knows how to maximize the talent around him. For years, Golden State's efficiency would plummet the second Curry hit the sideline. This season, the Dubs played break-even basketball during the minutes Paul played without Curry, per Cleaning the Glass.

Depending on how this summer plays out, the Lakers could have enough talent to be at least shadow contenders during the 2024-25 campaign. They'd just need someone who understands how to assemble all of the puzzle pieces on the fly.

That is the essence of what has always made Paul great. And it remains perhaps the sharpest skill in his arsenal.