Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George is slated to hit the free agent market in about two months. At that point, the All-NBA performer will be ready to return to basketball activities.
According to The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears, George underwent knee surgery on an ailing left knee on Wednesday and will be forced to sit out basketball activities for six-to-eight weeks.
The Thunder say forward Paul George had left knee scope today and will be able to return to basketball activities in six to eight weeks.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) May 9, 2018
The more skeptical of the two timelines will have George returning to the court near the start of free agency.
George, 28, had a stellar initial season with Oklahoma City, recording an average of 21.9 points on 40 percent shooting from distance. Though, the Thunder ultimately flamed out in the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Utah Jazz.
Teammate Russell Westbrook seems to think that George will return to the team, but that’s in no way a foregone conclusion. He has in the past been linked to his hometown Los Angeles Lakers, who have enough cash to add two max-contract players this summer.
George’s recent surgery is unlikely to have any real impact on the contract he receives when July comes calling.