Paul George will suit up next season for the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference after leaving the Los Angeles Clippers as a free agent. The Warriors tried trading for George before he hit free agency, with the new 76ers forward revealing how close the deal was to being done and how he wanted to play for the Warriors.
“That was a real thing, it was close to being done from what I was being told. They were expressing how much they wanted me there and how I could fit next to Draymond, Steph, Podz, Kuminga, Wiggins, they didn’t know how or what package was gonna be there to trade for me. Looney was going to be there, so it was very intriguing and was an opportunity to stay close to home on the West Coast.”
George remarked on the basketball fit of both his current situations alongside a former MVP, before saying the Clippers and Warriors just couldn’t come to an agreement.
“It was a win-win. Steph is a unicorn, a one-of-one player. Joel is a unicorn, a one-of-one player, so it was like a good situation to be in the middle of. Ultimately, the deal didn’t go through. The Clippers didn’t want a certain trade deal the Warriors were willing to give, and it just didn’t happen. But it was close… It would have been dope man. I was looking forward to it if it happened. I would’ve been a lot closer and probably would’ve still lived in LA.”
Paul George confirmed on @PodcastPShow the Warriors were his preferred destination, but a sign-and-trade agreement fell through:
“It would’ve been dope, man. I was looking forward to it, if it happened.”
Golden State viewed George as their missing piece alongside Stephen Curry. pic.twitter.com/4JnlwpRgkN
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) July 8, 2024
George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists last season. The Warriors wanted him badly, with Draymond Green even doing a podcast episode to mock the Clippers for refusing to take assets back for George and letting him walk free.
Based on the names that George mentioned, it’s unclear what the Clippers ultimately offered to the 76ers. If they didn’t include either Wiggins, Kuminga, or Podz, the Clippers understandably had very little incentive to do the deal. Instead, they used the space from Klay Thompson leaving to create space and sign the likes of De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, and Buddy Hield.
Paul George Says Clippers Refused To Offer Him 3 Years, $150 Million
Paul George went into detail of his split with the Clippers, discussing his contract negotiations over the season. They got off to a rough start with a two-year, $60 million offer which George felt insulted by. He agitated for a three-year, $150 million deal with a no-trade clause, something he failed to get.
Without a no-trade clause and less money, George thought it was better to leave for a new situation.
“It sucks that it had to get to this point, that we couldn’t get this figured out a lot sooner but now we’re at the end of the year and it’s 3 years, 150 and I’m like alright, we’re in the ballpark. Now we can have a conversation. Still, it still wasn’t about the money because when I went back to have the negotiation at the end of the year, I presented the 3, 150, no trade.”
George believes the Clippers era was over due to their lack of collective health.
“We couldn’t remain healthy as a unit, but I thought I did enough to earn that. They didn’t want to do it. So it was just a stalemate. We came to a stalemate and ultimately it was like, alright, that ship has sailed.”
The 34-year-old swingman will need to deliver at the highest level to give the 76ers a chance at contention in the East.
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