The LA Clippers have moved into a new era after officially moving on from Paul George. Now without one-half of the duo that they used to usher in their previous era back in 2019, the Clippers have been diligent in looking to the future from the moment they knew George would no longer be in their locker room.
LA's front office quickly reshaped the roster in adding free agents that would go a long way toward lessening the impact of PG's absence. Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, Nic Batum and others will all play a big part in ensuring the Clippers remain in the playoff race in a stacked Western Conference next season.
At an event on Friday, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was asked directly about Paul George's situation and how he feels no longer having George on the team. Ballmer's answer was one that left no doubt in the minds of fans. "I hated it," he said.
Ballmer 'hated' to lose Paul George
Of course, following the release of his podcast episode after his departure, George made the information concerning his contract negotiations public information, stating that he felt a little disrespected by the Clippers' initial offer to him. Ballmer was sure to address this in his statement to media.
"From a basketball perspective, Paul is a fantastic player. Future Hall-of-Famer I would say," Ballmer said. "But we knew we needed to continue to get better. And with the new CBA ... we made Paul what I consider a great offer, but it was a great offer in terms of us thinking about how to win championships. It wasn't what Paul wanted, and so he wanted to go and I respect him for that."
It is not surprising to hear that someone as successful as Ballmer did not take this situation personally and understood that it is simply the nature of a business. But he did express gratitude for getting to know George, and reiterated that he wishes PG was still in Los Angeles.
"I've really enjoyed my opportunity to get to know Paul," he said. "So on a personal level, I hated it." While mourning the loss of his team's second-best player over the last five years, Ballmer also recognized that from a roster-construction perspective, the team would not have been able to upgrade in the way they have without George's departure.