Paul George has a $48.8M player option for next season but might decline it to become a free agent.
He could also sign an extension with the Clippers, but they haven’t agreed on terms yet.
NBA insider Marc Stein says George wants to stay in Los Angeles, but the Clippers might need to offer more money than they want to keep him around.
“More sources than not we’ve consulted believe George’s preference, as a proud Southern California native, continues to be re-signing with the Clippers, but the incumbent team’s apparent reluctance to extend George a longer or richer deal than Kawhi Leonard’s recent three-year contract extension in the $150M range has put George’s future in legitimate flux,” Stein reported on Sunday.
George’s Age and Injury Concerns:
George is now 34 and has been with the Clippers for five seasons. This year was the first time he played over 56 games since joining. Because of his age and injury history, it’s risky for the team to give him a max contract extension.
Steve Ballmer and the front office don’t want to spend too much on an injury-prone player without championship experience. When healthy, George is one of the best two-way forwards—an elite scorer and defender—but he hasn’t always stayed healthy. For instance, he played only 48 games in 2019-20 and just 31 games in 2021-22.
Fans may think it’s smart not to overpay an older player with injuries.
Retaining him is important for the Clippers, but they’ll want a sensible deal that benefits both sides.
George hasn’t brought major success to the team yet and isn’t seen as worth a max contract anymore. If he’s okay with less money, he could finish his career at home; otherwise, he might join another team looking for a title shot.
His best chance at winning might still be with Kawhi Leonard on the Clippers. But money talks—he’ll likely go where he gets offered more cash. So now it’s all about who makes their move first between him and the team. This will be interesting to watch unfold!
What do you think? Should Paul George stay or find a new team?
