With each passing season, an increasing number of veterans drafted in the early 2010s enter retirement. This demonstrates excellence, as hanging the jersey up now signifies a career that lasted roughly 15 years, which is a phenomenal accomplishment in the NBA.
Moreover, the LA Clippers used to employ one of the best players in the 2010 draft class, Paul George. He began his career with the Indiana Pacers, rose to superstar status, then embarked on a venture with the Oklahoma City Thunder before forcing his way to Los Angeles.
Unfortunately, George experienced an unexpected hurdle with the Philadelphia 76ers during the first year of his four-year contract, where he was producing less, winning at a disappointing rate he had not seen in years, and playing minimally due to injury.
In fact, George played half of the year and averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, shooting 43.0% from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc. This is a significant difference from the consistent level he maintained with the Thunder and Clippers.
These numbers and statistics for the nine-time All-Star appear concerning by the year, especially now that he has reached a status regarding his draft class that the NBA community could not have predicted.
Former LA Clippers' superstar Paul George is the final player in his 2010 draft class still employed in the NBA
At the end of the 2024-25 regular season, surprisingly, there were only two players still tied to the NBA from the 2010 draft class: Paul George and John Wall, who were once teammates on the LA Clippers despite entering the NBA on different paths.
Although it was a poor decision in hindsight, George made a significant request to the Clippers' organization to branch out and sign Wall, unaware that his last game in the league would be played that season (2022-23).
Furthermore, Wall announced his retirement days ago, placing George on an island, by himself, as the lone soldier playing in the association from his class. This is particularly alarming for the Philadelphia 76ers, as the star wing has only played 41 games at the age of 34 and is evidently declining in both scoring and defense.
George will have to prove that, just because he is the last 2010 draftee on an NBA contract, fans should not worry, as he can still score an efficient 20 points per game and win, alongside two other All-Stars in Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.