Paul George signed a four-year $211M deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, leaving the Los Angeles Clippers.
Before his departure, he was in talks for a contract extension with the Clippers. On his podcast, George shared that the Clippers wanted him to retire with them.
“Just to put it out there, I never wanted to leave L.A.,” George said. “I presented the three (years) $150M no trade (clause). Because in the meeting, they’re like, ‘We want you here, long term.’…I’m like cool, ‘Give me the three years $150M no trade,’ but they didn’t wanna do the no trade … Through the negotiations, they wasn’t budging, I wasn’t gonna budge … At that point, it didn’t feel right to come back with that type of energy.”
PG details how contract negotiations with the Clippers affected his decision to leave LA.
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow)
Contract Negotiations:
George was smart to ask for a no-trade clause. The last time Clippers promised retirement plans for a player was Blake Griffin; they traded him soon after his extension. With a no-trade clause in place, George would have been safe from such surprises.
The Clippers had an expensive roster with Kawhi Leonard and George. As both stars aged, trading one of them seemed likely to save costs. Fans might think this move shows how unpredictable team loyalty can be.
George is nearing the end of his career and needs to secure as much income as possible while he can still play at a high level.
In conclusion, if George felt unsure about trusting the Clippers’ promises during negotiations, standing firm on his terms made sense. This decision led him back to the Eastern Conference with a lucrative contract and another chance at contending for titles.
What do you think about Paul George’s move?
