A collaboration between Paul George and the Clippers might are available many alternative types.
And that’s maybe probably the most urgent concern the Clippers should consider, much more so than the NBA draft, which begins Wednesday evening.
They don’t have a first-round choose within the 2024 draft, only a second-round choice at No. 46.
At that place, groups normally search for the “finest participant accessible,” and that would be the identical for the Clippers.
The Clippers’ finest choices in all probability will likely be wing gamers and guards, they usually received’t be on the clock till Thursday evening.
However crucial factor for the staff is coping with George’s scenario.
Learn extra: Jeff Van Gundy joins Clippers as lead assistant to educate Tyronn Lue
He has a participant possibility for $48.7 million and has to let the Clippers know by Saturday whether or not he’ll decide in on his deal.
George can decline the choice and change into a free agent if he and the Clippers are unable to return to an settlement on an extension earlier than Sunday. He’s eligible for a four-year deal price $221 million from the Clippers earlier than that date, one thing George is searching for.
Up to now, the 2 sides haven’t been capable of get a deal accomplished.
Russell Westbrook ($4 million) and P.J. Tucker ($11.5 million) even have participant choices they’re anticipated to train by the deadline.
When Kawhi Leonard agreed in the course of the common season to a three-year contract extension with the Clippers for $152 million, the staff had conversations with George a couple of comparable deal.
However no deal got here to fruition and it was left as much as George to talk on the matter after the Clippers had been eradicated from the Western Convention playoffs in Sport 6 by the Dallas Mavericks.
George, 34, was requested if he might see himself with the Clippers long run.
“Yeah,” George stated in Could. “If it really works that means, completely.”
The rumors have been flying about George opting out of his contract and different groups trying to signal him, together with Philadelphia and Orlando, which might pay him as much as $220 million over 4 years.
The Golden State Warriorshave been linked to George as nicely, in accordance with folks not approved to talk on the matter.
To hitch the Warriors, George must decide in to his contract for a commerce to happen after which the 2 sides would speak about a contract extension.
Learn extra: Clippers lengthen Tyronn Lue’s contract, making him one in all NBA’s highest-paid coaches
George performed in 74 video games in the course of the 2023-24 common season, probably the most in his 5 seasons with the Clippers. He averaged 22.6 factors, 5.2 rebounds and shot a career-high 41.3% from three-point vary.
He averaged 19.5 factors, 6.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists within the first-round playoff collection in opposition to Dallas.
George performed a pivotal function within the Clippers reaching their first Western Convention finals in 2021.
Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, talked about George returning and teaming with Leonard and free-agent-to-be James Harden when the staff performs its inaugural season at Intuit Dome.
“We would like Paul, we worth Paul,” Frank stated in the course of the staff’s exit interviews in Could. “Paul’s accomplished some large issues right here. He is an elite participant, and our largest factor is we at all times need to have the ability to deal with gamers nicely and pay them pretty, and we additionally must construct out a staff, particularly, this can be a new CBA [collective bargaining agreement].
“However when it comes to the precise cash, I might by no means go into particulars aside from we have had actually, actually good conversations over the course of the yr and [we are] hopeful that we are able to get him to stay a Clipper.”
Join the L.A. Instances SoCal highschool sports activities publication to get scores, tales and a behind-the-scenes have a look at what makes prep sports activities so common.
This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Instances.