In 2019, the Los Angeles Clippers identified Paul George as a player they wanted to pair with Kawhi Leonard to win an NBA Championship. George has been to three All-Star games, and the Clippers have gotten as far as the Western Conference Finals, but they still don’t have a championship trophy in their showcase.
Now, the future of the star duo is in question because George is expected to test free agency by opting out of his $48.7 salary for the upcoming season while pursuing a longer contract that pays much more.
So far, the Clippers have had issues agreeing on George’s contract value. If that continues, and the nine-time All-Star signs with a new team, the Clippers will naturally want to replenish their star power.
The 2024 NBA free agency class isn’t exactly brimming with big names who could be a 1-for-1 replacement for George, but there is one local player that the fans would quickly be drawn to.
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Could Los Angeles Clippers swap Paul George for DeMar DeRozan?
Recently, when discussing the possibility of George leaving LA, NBA insider Marc Stein asked Yahoo’s Chris Haynes whether DeMar DeRozan would become an option for the Clippers in free agency. While Haynes hasn’t heard DeRozan’s name come up in conversations so far, he agreed the six-time All-Star could be a strong fit in Los Angeles.
“DeMar DeRozan would be a logical secondary option for sure. So what I’m not saying that I’ve heard that from my own entail, but that was seem like a logical move DeMar DeRozan from LA as well. He actually wanted to go to the Lakers before he went to the Bulls. Talks as far as financially didn’t get to the point to where DeRozan could seriously consider that offer. So he ended up in Chicago but I can see that I can definitely see that.”
Chris Haynes speculation on DeMar DeRozan signing with Los Angeles Clippers
DeRozan, like George, is a free agent this summer. He’s not likely to have nearly as many suitors as George, but he also won’t command as much money on the open market either. Plus, the idea of the Compton native reuniting with Leonard, only this time in Los Angeles instead of San Antonio, could be appealing too.
For the Clippers, maybe there’s more appeal to paying a lesser amount for DeRozan instead of possibly overpaying for George. There’s also the durability factor, where DeRozan has never played fewer than 60 games in a season during his 15-year career, playing a total of 1110 games.
George has only played more than 54 games once in the past five seasons, yet it did come last year. Yet, he’s only played 867 games in his 14-year career and actually has a lower career scoring average at 20.8 PPG compared to DeRozan’s 21.2.
Where DeRozan pales in comparison is on defense, where George is a four-time member of the All-Defensive team, which is why he’s a six-time All-NBA player, and DeRozan has only accomplished the feat three times. In other words, George is worth every penny, but DeRozan still offers consistent production, on one end of the court.
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