A collaboration between Paul George and the Clippers might are available many various varieties.
And that’s maybe essentially the most urgent concern the Clippers should consider, much more so than the NBA draft, which begins Wednesday night time.
They don’t have a first-round decide within the 2024 draft, only a second-round choice at No. 46.
At that place, groups normally search for the “greatest participant out there,” and that would be the identical for the Clippers.
The Clippers’ greatest choices in all probability will likely be wing gamers and guards, and so they received’t be on the clock till Thursday night time.
However crucial factor for the staff is coping with George’s state of affairs.
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He has a participant choice for $48.7 million and has to let the Clippers know by Saturday whether or not he’ll choose in on his deal.
George can decline the choice and develop into a free agent if he and the Clippers are unable to come back to an settlement on an extension earlier than Sunday. He’s eligible for a four-year deal price $221 million from the Clippers earlier than that date, one thing George is looking for.
Thus far, the 2 sides haven’t been capable of get a deal achieved.
Russell Westbrook ($4 million) and P.J. Tucker ($11.5 million) even have participant choices they’re anticipated to train by the deadline.
When Kawhi Leonard agreed throughout the common season to a three-year contract extension with the Clippers for $152 million, the staff had conversations with George a few comparable deal.
However no deal got here to fruition and it was left as much as George to talk on the matter after the Clippers have been eradicated from the Western Convention playoffs in Sport 6 by the Dallas Mavericks.
George, 34, was requested if he might see himself with the Clippers long run.
“Yeah,” George stated in Could. “If it really works that method, completely.”
The rumors have been flying about George opting out of his contract and different groups trying to signal him, together with Philadelphia and Orlando, which might pay him as much as $220 million over 4 years.
The Golden State Warriorshave been linked to George as properly, in response to individuals not licensed to talk on the matter.
To hitch the Warriors, George must choose in to his contract for a commerce to happen after which the 2 sides would discuss a contract extension.
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George performed in 74 video games throughout the 2023-24 common season, essentially the most in his 5 seasons with the Clippers. He averaged 22.6 factors, 5.2 rebounds and shot a career-high 41.3% from three-point vary.
He averaged 19.5 factors, 6.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists within the first-round playoff sequence towards Dallas.
George performed a pivotal position within the Clippers reaching their first Western Convention finals in 2021.
Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, talked about George returning and teaming with Leonard and free-agent-to-be James Harden when the staff performs its inaugural season at Intuit Dome.
“We wish Paul, we worth Paul,” Frank stated throughout the staff’s exit interviews in Could. “Paul’s achieved some super issues right here. He is an elite participant, and our largest factor is we all the time need to have the ability to deal with gamers properly and pay them pretty, and we additionally must construct out a staff, particularly, this can be a new CBA [collective bargaining agreement].
“However by way of the precise cash, I’d by no means go into particulars apart from we have had actually, actually good conversations over the course of the 12 months and [we are] hopeful that we are able to get him to stay a Clipper.”
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This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Instances.