With the primary spherical of the 2024 NBA draft going down on Wednesday night, the offseason is in full swing. One of many largest storylines heading into draft and free company week has concerned the way forward for Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George.

The 34-year-old remains to be enjoying at a particularly excessive stage and will grow to be one of many high gamers in the marketplace when free company opens on Sunday. Nonetheless, he first has to determine whether or not to train his $48.8 million participant choice for the 2024-25 season.

For the Clippers and their followers, George’s resolution will carry an enormous weight. Los Angeles created a star-studded core when it added James Harden to a bunch that already included George, Russell Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard in November.

Had accidents not restricted Leonard within the postseason, the Clippers—who misplaced to the eventual Western Convention champion Dallas Mavericks in six—might need pushed all the way in which to the finals.

Presumably, the Clippers hope to maintain the proverbial band collectively for subsequent season, which might require retaining George and re-signing impending free agent Harden.

Reportedly, Harden’s future might hinge nearly completely on George’s resolution.

“He needs to see if Paul George stays, what number of years Paul George will get, as a result of he needs to align himself together with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George,” ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk stated on NBA At present (h/t Bleacher Report’s Doric Sam).

There’s been hypothesis, although, that even when George opts in, he’ll nonetheless be looking for a brand new group.

In response to
NBA insider Marc Stein (h/t Bleacher Report’s Andrew Peters), there is a “rising feeling” that George will choose in and attempt to power a commerce. In response to Stein, the Clippers have provided George a three-year deal within the $150-million vary, however George is looking for an extended deal.

In a vacuum, it’d seem to be George forcing his method out can be a worst-case state of affairs for the Clippers. It could break up L.A.’s supergroup and will power Harden to hunt employment elsewhere.

But, it would not be the entire catastrophe that it’d look like at first blush. For one, George might merely decline the choice and search his long-term deal on the open market. He has the leverage to get the deal he needs, power a commerce or stroll as a result of different groups are reportedly prepared to signal a four-year deal.

“I’ve been instructed that a number of groups on the market are prepared to commerce for him and provide him the four-year max contract that he isn’t at the moment being provided by the Clippers,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst stated on Get Up (h/t Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors).

Secondly, locking up George with a max contract would carry large threat.

Los Angeles is already tied to Leonard after giving him a three-year, $149.7 million extension. Leonard is 34, and Harden is 34, Westbrook is 35 and Leonard is the teen of the group at 32.

It is an older group, and there is no assure that it could possibly keep wholesome or proceed enjoying at a excessive stage for one more season, not to mention the subsequent three or 4. And if George will get the profitable contract he needs and Harden re-signs, the Clippers are probably taking a look at being over the dreaded second luxury-tax apron for that timeframe.

This could make it extraordinarily tough, if not unimaginable, for L.A. to reload its roster if the present group falters. L.A. is brief on draft capital, and second-apron restrictions will make it extraordinarily robust to construct by way of free company or the commerce market.

If or when the Clippers are over the second apron, they will be unable to mixture contracts in a commerce, ship out money, use commerce exceptions from earlier years or take again extra wage than they ship out.

It is unclear precisely what the Clippers may have the ability to get in a George commerce this summer season, however i a number of groups are actually , L.A. ought to count on a robust return. That is loads higher than shedding George for nothing in free company and a decent various to betting all the things on the concept L.A.’s growing old stars will not hit the dreaded cliff.

Would the Clippers moderately preserve George—and, maybe, by extension, Harden—on their phrases? Completely. If they can not, the opt-in-and-trade choice is much from their worst.