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These pesky Chris Paul-to-San Antonio rumors won't die. To the contrary, they're getting stronger.

Pau Gasol declined his player option for next season, leaving behind more than $16 million. The Spurs will re-sign him to a longer deal, but the average annual salary will be much smaller, making it easier for them to dredge up the $34.7 million in cap space required to max out Paul.

To be clear: "Easier" doesn't mean simple. At least one of LaMarcus Aldridge or Danny Green must be shipped out for San Antonio to sniff Paul's max—and that's in addition to purging the ledger of incumbent free agents. By the time they sign Paul, the Spurs would have maybe seven or eight total contracts on the books.

"The only tools to add more pieces would be the room exception, worth $4.3 million, and minimum contracts," Pounding The Rock's Jesus Gomez wrote. "It would be really hard to fill the two open slots in the starting lineup with quality players and the Spurs would have no depth. It's hard to see that team contend, so Paul would have no motivation to join it."

Paul doesn't appear worried about the resulting depth-chart challenges. He's expected to give the Spurs "serious consideration," according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein. And it seems his interest will be reciprocated.

Sources confirmed to ESPN.com's Michael C. Wright and Ramona Shelburne that the Spurs placed Aldridge on the chopping block ahead of the draft. Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News also brought word that the team is "open" to dealing Green.

Dumping Aldridge is the most direct route to Paul. He's on the books for $21.5 million in 2017-18. Unloading him while handing Gasol around $7 million chisels out slightly more than $34 million if they don't take back salary and keep Jonathon Simmons' cap hold in place. That's right around Paul's max.

There are more hurdles to clear, not the least of which is reconciling the use of Aldridge, an All-Star, as cap fodder. But the Spurs can meet Paul's salary demands if they try. And they should try. Surrounding him, Gasol, Green and Kawhi Leonard with no-names, minimum contracts and incumbent kiddies gets the Spurs back to the Western Conference Finals while setting them up to pitch LeBron James, Paul's buddy, on relocating to Texas in 2018.