LA Clippers star Paul George is declining his $48.7 million choice and can enter free company, sources advised ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday.
George is planning to satisfy with groups which have sufficient wage cap house to doubtlessly signal him and with the Clippers starting Sunday evening, sources added.
With George declining his participant choice, the opt-in-and-trade situation for him will not be potential.
George, a nine-time All-Star, has spent the previous 5 seasons with the Clippers — averaging 23 factors, 6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals over a complete of 263 regular-season video games in Los Angeles.
Since being drafted tenth general in 2010 by the Indiana Pacers, George — who was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017 earlier than being moved on to the Clippers two years later — has change into one of many NBA’s preeminent wing gamers, regardless of a devastating leg harm he suffered throughout Group USA coaching camp in Las Vegas forward of the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
George, the highest free agent out there this summer season, is one among eight gamers to make at the least 9 All-Star groups since he entered the league, becoming a member of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis. He is also a six-time All-NBA choice, together with being a first-team choice in 2019.
After lacking many of the 2014-15 season, nonetheless, George reestablished himself as one of many high two-way perimeter gamers within the league, together with averaging 22.6 factors, 5.2 rebounds and three.5 assists this previous season for the Clippers earlier than they misplaced within the first spherical of the playoffs to the Dallas Mavericks in six video games.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.
