Paul could provide outside shooting, and take some of the ball-handling responsibilities from James and school Austin Reaves in the art of foul-drawing. Perhaps the best part of a Paul acquisition would be that he’d keep the Lakers from making a terrible mistake: signing free agent Kyrie Irving to a long-term contract.

Los Angeles Clippers: Paul’s old team is unafraid of relying on players who get hurt in the playoffs. If the Clip Show’s title hopes depend on the health of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, why not push all their old, injury-prone chips to the center of the table and put Paul in the mix?

This season, the Clippers’ need for a point guard led them to sign Russell Westbrook after he was dumped by the Lakers and bought out by the Utah Jazz. Paul is better than Westbrook and adept at getting the ball to George and Leonard in their preferred spots. In addition, PG and Kawhi are going into the final year of their contracts — it’s the perfect time for a last-ditch move by the Clippers, one year before they move into their new arena, the Intuit Dome.

Dallas Mavericks: The Mavs are another team that can use Paul to keep themselves from going into the Kyrie Irving business long-term. Paul would be an upgrade on Irving on defense, and despite his injuries, he still misses fewer games than Irving. He could take pressure off of Luka Doncic to constantly create offensively, an effort that may have exhausted him last year.

But it would also allow them to use Irving as a vehicle to shore up their depth around Doncic as part of a sign-and-trade. That, combined with the No. 10 pick in this year’s draft, could allow Dallas to reload in advance of a season that might determine whether the young superstar decides to stay with Dallas long-term.

Philadelphia 76ers: If James Harden leaves Philly to return to the Rockets, Harden’s former Houston teammate Paul is an excellent fallback position. He’d give them a point guard who can slot in alongside Tyrese Maxey in the backcourt. And with Paul already pocketing $15.8M this year, he’ll likely be tens of millions of dollars cheaper than “The Beard.”

Paul proved he can get the ball to a star big man when he played with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in Los Angeles, and Clint Capela had over 200 dunks both years he played with Paul in Houston. Perhaps most important is that the 76ers fired Paul’s old coach, Doc Rivers, whom he had clashed with in his last years with the Clippers.

New Orleans Pelicans: It would be poetic if Paul returned to the city where he began his career in 2005. The young Pelicans could use another veteran alongside CJ McCollum to help their young core progress. Neither McCollum nor rookie Dyson Daniels is a natural point guard, and young Kira Lewis is still a question after three injury-marred seasons.

Plus, with all of the injuries and rehabilitation Paul has had to endure in his career, he’d be the perfect mentor for Zion Williamson. Could Zion finally stay healthy on a CP3-endorsed plant-based diet?