When the Clippers brought Kawhi Leonard and Paul George together, the hope was the two-way forwards would turn Los Angeles into a perennial contender.
Early during their time together, it looked like that was possible. The Clippers made the Western Conference Finals in their second year as teammates and appeared to have a bright future.
Since then, the Clippers have only made the playoffs twice in three years and haven’t made it out of the first round.
Now, the two parties are facing a reckoning. Will the Clippers bring back Paul George in the final year of his four-year, $176.3 million contract, or will they let him go elsewhere and try to retool around Leonard?
George has a $48.8 million player option for the 2024-25 NBA season, so Los Angeles will only partly be in control of his future. The 34-year-old veteran could return to the team, opt for free agency or force a sign-and-trade by opting into his contract and demanding a trade.
Which path will it be for George and the Clippers? Here’s the latest to know about the veteran star’s future in Los Angeles and which teams may be interested in acquiring him.
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Clippers aren’t ‘desperate’ to keep Paul George
Date: June 28
Source: Brian Windhorst
Despite recent comments from Lawrence Frank, Clippers president of basketball operations, Windhorst feels that the Clippers aren’t “desperate” to keep George in Los Angeles.
“What I find interesting about this is the stance that the Clippers are taking here,” Windhorst said on NBA Today. “Because this is a very important player to them. They were heavily invested in him.”
“[The Clippers] are not acting like they’re desperate to keep him.” 😳 @WindhorstESPN doesn’t understand why the Clippers are not worried about losing Paul George 🤔 pic.twitter.com/rD9IPFSW2K
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 28, 2024
The Clippers sent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a large sum of draft picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire George in 2019. It seems the Clippers aren’t worried about losing him to free agency since they’re not giving him a max deal that other teams are offering.
Clippers want to keep Paul George
Date: June 27
Source: Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank
The Clippers are hopeful they can keep Paul George, but also understand that he may want to leave the team, as president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said during a post-NBA Draft news conference.
“We very much want to retain Paul, but we also very much understand and respect the fact this is a business,” Frank said, per ESPN. “We hope Paul’s decision is to be here. He’s been awesome. He’s been an All-Star. He’s one of the best two-way players in the league. He’s a terrific person. He’s got great family, so we hope he’s here but also respect the fact that if he chooses to opt out, that’s his choice. He’s earned it and we’ll see how things play out.”
Frank also cited Los Angeles’ close proximity to George’s family as something that could keep the star player with the Clippers for his next contract.
Clippers could target DeMar DeRozan as Paul George replacement
Date: June 26
Source: NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson
If the Clippers need to replace Paul George, they could target DeMar DeRozan to replace him, per Johnson.
Keep the Clippers in mind as a potential DeMar DeRozan destination if Paul George signs elsewhere.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) June 26, 2024
DeRozan was born and raised in Compton, so playing in Los Angeles would be a homecoming of sorts. The 34-year-old is set to be a free agent and would provide the Clippers with a solid replacement for George should they move on from the veteran.
Warriors prepared to give Paul George four-year max contract via sign-and-trade
Date: June 26
Source: ESPN’s Brian Windhorst
George and the Clippers are struggling to find middle ground on a potential long-term contract to keep him in Los Angeles, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports. That could lead to his exit, as several suitors are willing to give him a max contract.
“To this point, the Clippers have only been willing to offer Paul George about what they gave Kawhi Leonard,” Windhorst on Get Up on Wednesday (h/t RealGM). “Three years at a little bit less than the max contract, and Paul George, frankly, wants four years. He wants a full-out max and there are a number of teams out there, I am told, that are prepared to give it to him, who are prepared to trade for him. One of those teams, potentially, is up the coast in Golden State.”
Getting George onto the Warriors wouldn’t be easy, as the team is projected to be nearly $40 million over the salary cap. That said, The Ringer’s Logan Murdock reports the Warriors are “aggressively dangling” Andrew Wiggins in trade talks, so perhaps his $26.3 million contract could be a strong starting point in negotiating a sign-and-trade.
Chris Paul ($30 million) also stands out as a player with whom the Warriors might want to part, so they may have the salaries needed to make a trade. It’s just a matter of whether they can entice the Clippers enough to trade the two-way star within the division.
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Paul George’s desire to stay on West Coast could scare off 76ers
Date: June 26
Source: ESPN’s Brian Windhorst
The 76ers have long been considered a team that would have an interest in George should he become available. However, a marriage between the two doesn’t seem likely, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst explained on “The Hoop Collective” podcast.
“I’m not so sure Paul George really wanted to leave the West Coast,” Windhorst said. “I think that was something Philadelphia kind of ran into when they kicked the tires there.”
George grew up in the Los Angeles area and played collegiately at Fresno State, so it would make sense if he wanted to stay closer to home — or even if California. Even so, that could limit his market — or at least serve to limit the types of offers the Clippers can expect to receive in exchange for the veteran.
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‘Growing feeling’ Paul George picks up player option to force trade
Date: June 24
Source: Mark Stein
Paul George has a $48.8 million player option for the 2024-25 NBA season, and he has until Saturday, June 29 to exercise it ahead of free agency. It seems like the Clippers star is going to pick up that option, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will stay with the team, as NBA insider Marc Stein reports.
“There is a growing feeling leaguewide that the 34-year-old picking up his $48.8 million player option for next season to force the Clippers to trade him is an increasingly realistic scenario,” Stein wrote.
Orchestrating a trade involving George wouldn’t necessarily be easy for the Clippers. They will face a challenge in matching salaries, but there should be plenty of interest in the All-Star should he demand a trade.