Warriors need help from one star to sign LeBron James

For the first time since he arrived in Southern California, LeBron James will be back in the open market.

The four-time NBA champion will be a free agent, and while all teams in the league won't be on his toes like nearly a decade ago, he'll still have plenty of suitors.

Notably, the Golden State Warriors are expected to be a big player in this sweepstakes, but they might need help from one of their stars to get it done.

As Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report pointed out, the Warriors will probably need to have Kristaps Porzingis take a significant pay cut to make room for The King.

Kristaps Porzingis may need to take a big pay cut

"Warriors sign James at $30.8 million over two years with a player option, starting at the $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Bonus: Porziņģis re-signs on a two-year contract with a player option. The amount depends on player movement, as low as $7.5 million in the first year to fit within the Warriors' means," wrote Pincus. 

Porzingis made $30.7 million this past season and would be taking way less money up front and more in the following years to accommodate the books to bring James on board.

That said, the Latvian big man might not have much of an incentive to do so. He hasn't been in the Bay Area for long, so it's not like he'd be morally obliged to give the team a hometown discount.

James has made nearly $600 million in playing salary alone, and he's a billionaire. Money shouldn't be an issue at this point in his career.

Of course, that doesn't mean he should play for free or take the veteran's minimum; he's got every right to maximize his earning potential while he still can.

That said, if he truly wants to team up with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, he can easily figure something out. If it's about winning another ring, this might actually be his best shot.