The New York Knicks have a 20-3 record with OG Anunoby, their midseason acquisition, who instantly became their best perimeter defender and solidly filled in the gaps to hide Jalen Brunson from getting exploited on defense.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley suggested the Knicks should double down on the idea of big wings around Brunson.
“If the Knicks could design their ideal addition to this roster, they might create someone who looks and plays an awful lot like Paul George.
The nine-time All-Star is almost like an upgraded version of OG Anunoby: all of the same high-end defensive versatility with even more offense. And if New York had both on the roster, opposing wings might never score against this group,” Buckley wrote.
The Knicks toyed around adding George last offseason but balked when the Los Angeles Clippers set a high asking price. Buckley urged the Knicks to jump at the next chance George becomes available if he could not agree to an extension with the Clippers.
“If George wanted out, New York should be ready to part with almost anything to get him. It might take two or three future first-round picks and two or three rotation regulars, but the Knicks have enough to meet that asking price and still have a contending roster in place,” Buckley wrote.
The Knicks have Bojan Bogdanovic‘s $19 million team option (which they need to pick up) as a salary ballast and would have to add roughly $30 million to get to George’s $48.8 million player option for next season.
The Clippers and George can agree to a four-year extension worth up to $221.1 million up until June 30. But after Kawhi Leonard took a pay cut, the Clippers are also expecting George to agree to a lower figure.
Clippers Were Open to Trade Discussions
Besides the reported Knicks’ inquiry last offseason, the Clippers were open to trade discussions surrounding George this season, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Law Murray.
“Only George knows how he truly sees his situation, but it’s worth remembering that the Clippers are known to have shown a willingness to discuss him in a select few trade scenarios heading into the February deadline,” Amick and Murray wrote on May 4.
But The Athletic report noted that “the internal calculus was different back then” referring to the Clippers’ concern that George will leave them as a free agent this offseason.
George dodged questions about his extension talks with the Clippers after their first-round exit.
“I’m not even focused on that yet,” George told reporters when asked about his future. “I got a lot to kind of digest myself, so I haven’t even got to that yet. Look forward to kind of going back, just letting everything kind of decompress, talk to my family, be around family support and then address the next step. … Yeah, it’s just not where I’m there. I’m not there yet.”
Asked if he views himself running it back with Leonard and James Harden next season, he responded positively but with a caveat.
“Yeah,” George said. “If it works that way, absolutely.”
The word “if” raises concern for the Clippers.
Knicks Own Second-Best Odds to Land Paul George if He Leaves Clippers
The Clippers are still the odds-on favorite to retain George at -220, per Bovada.
But if George leaves the Clippers, the Philadelphia 76ers, whom the Knicks eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, are the betting favorites at +275 to acquire George.
The Knicks own the second-best odds at +950. Trading for George would be hitting two birds with one stone — blocking the Sixers’ chance to improve their roster around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and at the same time, enhance Brunson’s supporting cast.
The 34-year-old George was healthy this season as he averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 74 games, earning his ninth All-Star berth along the way.
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OG Anunoby’s ‘Upgraded Version’ Named as Knicks’ ‘Ideal’ Trade Target