As we come closer to the start of NBA free agency on June 30, one of the biggest questions surrounding the offseason is the status of Paul George’s future with the Los Angeles Clippers. George has one year left on his contract. But it’s also a player option, which means it’s entirely up to him whether he plays under his $48.7 million salary with the Clippers in 2024 or find a new contract, possibly with another team.
George has until the day before free agency begins to decide whether he wants to exercise the option or not.
Yet, according to respected NBA insider Brian Windhorst, there’s a battle taking place behind the scenes between George and the Clippers. If the two sides aren’t able to find common ground during extension negotiations, George may very well just keep his contract for the upcoming season and demand a trade to a preferred destination.
“So, this is sort of setting up to the Clippers basically positioning themselves to call Paul George’s bluff here. They have not been willing to meet Paul George’s price. He remains un-signed. You can’t just look at teams with salary cap space. If Paul George changes teams, it’s very likely going to be a situation where he opts into his contract and requests a trade.”
Brian Windhorst on Paul George trade request
If the Clippers and George fail to find a number that works for both of them, there would be no shortage of trade suitors for the nine-time All-Star. And finding a trade partner makes a lot more sense from George’s perspective since there is a very limited list of teams with enough cap space to offer him the type of lucrative contract he desires.
There are just five teams projected to have $33 million or more in cap space this offseason. They are Detroit, Philadelphia, Orlando, Utah, and Oklahoma City, in order of most cap space to least.
Only two of those teams reached the playoffs last season. Odds are, the the 34-year-old California native will prioritize winning above all. But again, it’s looking like he won’t even reach free agency. We should find out for sure over the next eight days.
Related: Brian Windhorst drops another strong hint about the next major NBA transaction