The Golden State Warriors have gotten materially worse as a roster in the 2024 offseason, watching the likes of Klay Thompson and Chris Paul leave the franchise without a replacement. According to Ramona Shelbourne of ESPN. the Warriors heavily pursued Paul George before he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers and were hesitant regarding Jonathan Kuminga’s inclusion in the deal.
“The Warriors offered multiple combinations of expiring contracts, young players, and an unprotected 2027 first-round pick, sources said. The Clippers countered by asking for prized youngster Jonathan Kuminga, sources said. The Warriors resisted because Kuminga is so important to their own future, sources said, but also because they worried George wouldn’t be as interested in joining them if they gave up too much to get him.”
Previous reports indicated that the Clippers turned down an offer with Kuminga involved, with the Warriors offering every valuable player on the roster except Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, and Trayce-Jackson Davis.
A trade for George would be possible if he had accepted his player option before entering free agency, as the Warriors couldn’t create the space required to make him a contract offer, despite over $70 million coming off the books with Thompson and Paul.
The Warriors are falling behind in an aggressive Western Conference, as the team is still searching the market for answers to their second star problem.
Draymond Green Says Clippers Refused To Trade Paul George To The Warriors
Draymond Green has made a tall claim on his podcast, saying that Paul George wanted to come to the Warriors but the Clippers refused to cooperate before losing him for nothing.
“Paul George was gonna come to the Warriors. We wanted Paul George to come to the Warriors… The Clippers didn’t really want to play ball. Didn’t want to help him get to where he wanted to go, so in turn they get nothing back…”
Draymond Green on his pod:
“Paul George was gonna come to the Warriors. We wanted Paul George to come to the Warriors… The Clippers didn’t really want to play ball. Didn’t want to help him get to where he wanted to go, so in turn they get nothing back…”
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— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) July 3, 2024
The Clippers probably would rather lose George to a team in the Eastern Conference compared to handing him to a division rival.
We just saw the Denver Nuggets reportedly refuse a sign-and-trade for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Mavericks because they didn’t want to help a rival get better. KCP left the former champions to go to the East and join the Orlando Magic.
Similarly, the right price is the right price. The Knicks made only their fifth trade in history with the Nets, acquiring Mikal Bridges for one of the biggest draft pick hauls in trade history. But the Nets were planning on tanking and won’t compete with the Knicks atop the East this season, unlike the Clippers and Warriors both fighting for a top-six seed in the West.
The reported offer from the Warriors for George included the likes of Andrew Wiggins and Moses Moody, with Jonathan Kuminga’s inclusion unclear based on conflicting reports. Without Kuminga, the return probably wouldn’t have been worth it for the Clippers, which explains why they didn’t do a deal.
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