9-time NBA All-Star Paul George declined his $48.8 million choice to play for the Los Angeles Clippers subsequent season, making himself one of many league’s most coveted free brokers, in line with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 34-year-old averaged 22.6 factors (on 47/41/91 taking pictures splits), 5.2 rebounds and three.5 assists per recreation this previous season, main the Clippers to the primary spherical of the playoffs. They misplaced to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Clippers can supply George a four-year, $221 million most contract. They’ve been unwilling to supply greater than the three-year, $152.4 million extension that Kawhi Leonard signed through the season, in line with a number of stories. George’s determination to decide out will put the Clippers’ intentions to the take a look at.
BREAKING: Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George is declining his $48.7M possibility and coming into free company, sources inform ESPN. He’s planning to set conferences with cap house groups and the Clippers starting Sunday evening. An opt-in/commerce state of affairs is now gone. pic.twitter.com/kASDp58eDD
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2024
George’s suitors turned clear hours later when he was reported to be taking conferences with the Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic as soon as free company begins.
The Clippers traded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari and the rights to seven first-round draft picks for George in the summertime of 2019, as they had been additionally within the technique of recruiting Leonard to L.A. This previous season marked the primary time George performed greater than 56 video games in a season for the Clippers.
George led the franchise to its first look within the Western Convention finals in 2021.
The Sixers, who depend themselves as the one championship contender with max wage cap house, have lengthy been anticipated to be suitors, even after The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the workforce’s curiosity in George “has significantly waned.” (Perhaps as a result of his curiosity in them has waned?) Sixers star Joel Embiid was openly recruiting George to Philadelphia on stay TV through the NBA Finals.
Nevertheless, championship competition is probably not George’s sole objective in free company.
“Individuals saying chasing a championship,” George stated throughout a recent episode of his podcast, addressing his free-agency targets. “It’s not that, however it’s taking part in the suitable fashion of basketball is what I’m chasing.”
George can signal with one other workforce for as a lot as $212 million over the following 4 seasons. The Detroit Pistons are at present the one workforce in addition to the Sixers anticipated to clear sufficient cap house to signal him.
