Now that Paul George has joined the Philadelphia 76ers on a four-year, $212 million contract, he has opened up about negotiations with the Los Angeles Clippers.
“I never wanted to leave LA,” he said on the July 8 episode of “Podcast P With Paul George.” When negotiations began in fall 2023, he said, the Clippers offered a two-year deal worth $60 million. “The first initial deal was, I thought, kind of disrespectful. … I’m like, ‘Just give me what Kawhi [Leonard] got.'”
Leonard, 33, had signed a three-year deal worth $153 million in January 2024.
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Losing a Superstar, But Why?
The Clippers didn’t have to lose George, he suggested. Financially, they could have made it work, as re-signing George to a Kawhi Leonard-like $50 million per year wouldn’t have violated any CBA rules. Yes, there would have been more tax implications, but owner Steve Ballmer is worth $157 billion, according to a July 2 Forbes report, and with the new Intuit Dome soon to open, Ballmer had all the motivation to keep the competitive core together.
While George has developed a reputation for failing in the playoffs, there’s no doubt that even at 34 years of age, he’s every bit the superstar he once was. In 2023-24, he was as healthy as he’d been with the Clippers, appearing in 74 regular season games. He averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game, with a shooting line of .471/.413/.907 en route to making his ninth All-Star appearance.
At 51-31 (36-17 at the All-Star break), the Clippers finished fourth in the Western Conference, ultimately flaming out in six games in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks. It feels like a lifetime ago, but the Clippers won Game 1 and had a six-point lead with 9:32 remaining in Game 2. Leonard would get injured, playing just 59 minutes in the series, leaving the team to (again) wonder what could have been.
Who Replaces George’s Production?
The most obvious solution is for James Harden and Leonard to increase their usage, though the player who will most likely fill George’s spot on defense is newcomer Derrick Jones Jr. As a key part of the 2023-24 Mavericks, Jones Jr. averaged only 8.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game, but he regularly locked down opposing shooters, holding them to 4.1% worse shooting than their season average, per NBA.com/stats.
On offense, the Clippers could look to current sixth man Norm Powell to step up his game, realizing the potential he had as a starter for his previous teams. His career splits are consistent, putting up nearly identical per-36 minute numbers as a starter versus as a reserve.
The Clippers also have to deal with the loss of some role players, with Mason Plumlee leaving for the Phoenix Suns and Daniel Theis going to the New Orleans Pelicans. They’ve brought in Kris Dunn, Nicolas Batum and Kevin Porter Jr. as low-risk signings to help offset the lack of depth, along with Mo Bamba.
Rumors are swirling that the Clippers aren’t done, as Russell Westbrook continues to be tied to the Denver Nuggets, according to Marc Stein. It’s unlikely they’ll receive a true impact player in that trade scenario, leaving the Clippers to essentially replace George’s production by committee.
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Paul George: Clippers Offer Was ‘Disrespectful’ & He ‘Never Wanted to Leave LA’