With the NBA free agency period looming, there are plenty of decisions the LA Clippers are preparing for. The biggest, of course, being Paul George's future. The star wing has been with the franchise since 2019, but there is no guarantee he remains in Los Angeles past this summer.
Over the course of his five seasons with the Clippers, George has of course been crucial to the team's success. He has always been at worst the team's second-best player, with him having to take over the primary scorer role at times where Kawhi Leonard has been out due to injury.
LA would love to retain him to keep their star pairing together, but the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is one of the main reasons he could be driven out of town. With George's huge contract, the Clippers would be much more constrained financially if he were to stick around.
At the end of the day, PG will have the final say in choosing to pick up his player option for next season or decline it. What he does come the start of free agency on July 1 will of course have massive implications for the remainder of the offseason.
"It will be interesting to see if Paul George opts out of his contract and becomes an unrestricted free agent..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 12, 2024
I think the big transactions this summer will be trades more so than free agents" @WindhorstESPN #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/o0UrtfuvYk
Brian Windhorst says the Clippers and Paul George are "not on the same page"
Recently, reliable NBA reporter and Insider Brian Windhorst appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN. It was there that he shared some interesting details regarding George's contract situation and where he currently stands with the Clippers in terms of a potential extension with the team.
According to Windhorst, an extension does not seem likely as of right now. " is free to extend his contract with the Clippers right now," said Windhorst. "There is nothing stopping him from doing that, and maybe he will. But obviously, he and the Clippers have swapped numbers and they're not on the same page."
This is far from surprising, but to hear it from a connected insider is still telling. It already seemed likely that Paul was hoping to get a considerable number on a potential extension, and the Clippers are simply unwilling to accommodate based on finances and possibly other factors.
With all these tidbits of information leaking in ahead of free agency, it truly seems more and more likely that Paul George will be in a different uniform by the time next season rolls around. Where he goes and what the Clippers get in return will have massive implications on next season as they make their move to the brand new Intuit Dome.