Allow me to sell you on an idea.

An idea where the "Point God" comes to Boston.

Allow me to sell you on an idea.

An idea where the Celtics take on a veteran in the final months of his career.

An idea in which Brad Stevens rounds out the roster with someone who has a track record of accelerating players' development.

An idea that, as of yesterday, became possible.

Chris Paul joined the LA Clippers during the summer with the idea that it would be his final stop. He would retire with a team with which he has a deep history. Along the way, he would get the chance to contend for an ever-elusive championship ring.

That hasn’t gone to plan.

And now, Paul’s retirement tour has descended into retire-at-home.

On paper, the Celtics don’t need another guard. Derrick White and Payton Pritchard have successfully navigated their early-season slumps, and Anfernee Simons is figuring out his role as a second-unit flame-thrower.

Still, I can’t help but wonder what this team would look like with a real table-setter calling the shots.

Think about it.

When Paul is on the floor, either White or Pritchard would slide into their natural off-ball roles. Their shots would come in much the same way as last year. Paul will find them with on-time passes, seems lined up and everything. And Simons would have more opportunities to score without needing to dominate the rock (he leads the Celtics in average seconds per touch with 4.47).

More importantly…

Cutters would get rewarded.

Half-court defenses dissected.

And pitch-ahead passes would alleviate some of the concerns about Paul’s age and ability to run the court in transition.

But most importantly, Paul is known for accelerating young talent's development, especially in recent years, especially big men.

That bodes exceptionally well for Neemias Queta and potentially Luka Garza.

“I think CP adds another thing to the menu,” Draymond Green said about Paul during a 2023 appearance on the “Podcast P With Paul George” podcast. “But I’ll tell you one more thing that I think he unlocks. And I actually look forward to learning this from him. I think Chris Paul will completely unlock Jonathan Kuminga and his growth. CP is great with young guys. DeAndre Ayton looked like a bust before CP came to Phoenix. No disrespect to Ayton, but more so a nod to CP.”

Paul thinks the game.

“I had never heard of a three-for-two. And the person I learned that from was Chris Paul,” Jayson Tatum said when appearing on the “Old Man and the Three” podcast. “ I was like, what the hell is a three-for-two? He was like, basically, you shoot it at 105, right? 105, 103. So then you get the ball back two more times. Somebody that, like, you would love to have on your team, and I absolutely hate playing against. I hate playing against Chris. But it was like, I just remember asking him that after the game. And after, I was like, damn, like, he really has this figured out.”

Take a look at the Celtics roster. Jaylen Brown is the veteran leader, and he’s only 29. Ok, he’s a champion. He’s an All-Star. And he’s someone the locker room rightly looks up to. However, Paul has 11 years of additional experience.

Brown was 9 when Paul was drafted into the NBA in 2005.

If you can add someone with that much know-how, even just for a few months, it could work wonders for the development of the younger talent on the roster.

The young guys could learn from Paul’s approach.

How he eats.

His sleep patterns.

How he watches and dissects film.

How he conducts himself around the facility.

And the way he works in the weight room.

If there’s one thing you can say about the current roster, it’s that everybody is willing to put in the work necessary to be great.

You can see it in how they approach the game, how they battle on defense. And how, even with their backs against the wall, they keep trusting the process and chipping away.

A veteran leader would complement that.

Adding Paul would be a short-term crash course in how to act like a future great. That’s one of the biggest things Boston lost when Al Horford left for the Golden State Warriors in free agency this summer.

From what we’ve learned about Paul’s situation with the Clippers over the past day or so, it’s likely that he would be available via trade. As Keith Smith noted, “because of his contract and the Clippers’ hard-cap complications, the most likely path forward is that LA tries to trade Chris Paul.”

I have no clue how much say Paul will have on his next destination — or if he’s even open to making the move. Earlier in the summer, he said he wanted to be closer to his family this year.

“The past six seasons, I’ve lived without them,” Paul told Pat McAfee on June 5. “So I go to San Antonio, Phoenix, Golden State... I’ve been around a few teams, but I’ve been away from them for the last six years. It’s a little different. That’s the conversation. I want to hoop, because I love to hoop, but at the same time I do want to be a dad.”

With his comments from this summer in mind, Paul may have no interest in moving to the East Coast.

But if he’s open to a six-month trip before retiring, Boston could be a good spot for him.

Joe Mazzulla would find a role for the veteran guard.

Jayson Tatum could be back before the end of the season, which gives the team a chance to make some noise in the postseason.

And, Paul gets one last chance at helping a younger generation of players find their footing in the NBA.

From a basketball standpoint, there’s not much to lose.

Given how the Celtics are playing, they should be buyers at the trade deadline.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been one to turn down a bargain when it makes sense.

And that’s precisely what Paul is: a bargain.

There will be multiple teams with interest in adding Paul if the Clippers make it clear he’s available. The Celtics aren’t even being noted as a potential suitor.

But to me, that’s why it makes so much sense.

Brad moves in silence.

So, allow me to sell you on an idea.

An idea that’s only for the short-term.

An idea that could pay dividends both now and for years to come.

An idea that would bring a veteran to Boston on the cheap.

An idea that Chris Paul could be a wise fit in Boston.