Once news broke that Josh Kushner and Bob Iger had agreed to purchase a majority share of the Los Angeles Lakers from Mark Walter this week, questions arose about how they would run the franchise. Part of that speculation has to do with any immediate or quick changes that could be made. Ramona Shelburne of ESPN said that Chris Paul is a name to watch as far as someone who could be brought into the organization. Paul recently retired, ending a legendary 21-season career in the NBA as one of the league's better point guards of all time, and he has had a close friendship with Iger that goes back a number of years. In an article for the California Post, Khobi Price shed some light on what type of role Paul could hold with the Lakers if he were to be hired by Kushner and Iger. While it is unknown how much interest Paul has in joining the organization, one person who works in the front office of an NBA team said that the future Hall of Famer could be a consultant.
"A front office member on an Eastern Conference team told the Post they could see Paul, at least initially, best fitting in as a consultant as someone who people around the organization can pick the brain of the 12-time All-Star," Price wrote. "'Just comes down to commitment and how much he listens,' the front office member told the Post of Paul’s fit as an executive. 'Understanding [the] game at such a higher level goes such a long way.'"
Another front office worker had something more substantial in mind for Paul.
"Another front office member for another team speculated going into coaching could be a better option for Paul, citing his playing career accolades. "'Such a student of the game, he’s used to leading on [the] floor and in a locker room,' they told the Post. 'Could just see it translating well, in my opinion.' "They added: 'But I could see either front office or coaching in his future.'"
Paul, of course, was once supposed to be Lakers-bound. In December 2011, the team agreed to acquire him from the New Orleans Pelicans, only for that trade to be blocked by then-commissioner David Stern, who was also serving as the Hornets' acting owner at the time. The belief was that Paul, who was 26 years of age at the time, would've revitalized their chances of winning at least one more championship during Kobe Bryant's waning years of elite play. Instead, he was traded that month to the Los Angeles Clippers, and he made the Clippers into a very competitive team after they had been laughingstocks for the better part of the previous three decades. This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: What role could Chris Paul be given if the Lakers hire him?