3 Reasons Clippers would be better off without Paul George

The future of the LA Clippers is up in the air, and there are plenty of questions about what this team will look like by the time next NBA season begins. Management will have some difficult decisions to make, and it is possible several of the big names Clipper fans have come to know and love could be out of the picture.

One thing seems certain: Steve Ballmer will not consider going into a rebuild. As the Clippers prepare to move all their operations into the soon-to-be-christened Intuit Dome, one of the main goals will be to drum up excitement for the team and sell plenty of tickets for the first season in the brand new, state-of-the-art arena.

The Clippers' current core of players certainly has their problems, but one thing they will undoubtedly do is get fans to come out and support the team in person. In terms of on-court performance, Kawhi Leonard's knee of course remains a major issue, and there is legitimate doubt if the Clips can ever live up to their true potential in the 213 era with him at the helm considering his fluctuating health.

The other half of LA's superstar duo is also a question mark, but in a different way. Paul George is far from a guarantee to remain with the Clippers past this summer, but there are a few reasons why the team may actually be better off without him moving forward.

1. On-court inconsistency

Of course, LA brought in George in 2019 with the understanding that he was Kawhi's teammate of choice. Leonard was not coming to the Clippers without the knowledge that his running mate would be by his side. And while Paul has been unquestionably the team's second-best player of the last five seasons (even the best at times), his consistency has not always been there.

Clippers fans know well that George can score 38 points on incredible efficiency like he did against the Thunder on January 16, and then turn around and drop 12 points on dismal shooting splits the very next game. We have even seen this in PG's playoff performances. He was one of the main reasons LA made the conference finals in 2021, and this season he put up a mostly pedestrian effort in the six-game series with Dallas.

2. Price tag

Another of the biggest reasons the Clippers should consider parting ways with George is his contract situation. The veteran wing will have a player option on his deal for next season worth $48.7 million. PG supposedly wants a new max extension, but it is looking unlikely LA will be willing to give it to him.

That leaves him still on the roster on an expiring deal, which makes him ripe for either an offseason sign-and-trade, or a midseason trade at the deadline next February. It would be hard to justify extending a player who is so frequently sidelined due to injuries with that price tag.

3. Age

The final reason the Clippers may want to move on from George is his increasing age. PG just turned 34 years old, putting him far closer to the end of his career than the beginning. He is still a high-level wing that can have a big impact at both ends of the floor, but that impact is slowly diminishing year by year.

With age, the potential for injuries of course only increases as well. The Clippers may do well to send Paul elsewhere while he is still relatively healthy and his trade value is high.