In the latest episode of ‘Podcast P’, Paul George opened up about his recent negotiations with the Los Angeles Clippers and a near-deal with the Golden State Warriors, offering a candid look into the complexities of NBA contract negotiations and trade discussions.
“Just to put it out there, I never wanted to leave LA. Initially, I was not trying to leave LA. LA is home, this is where I wanted to finish at, and I wanted to work as hard as possible to win one in LA.”
“That was the goal, to be here and be committed to LA. As it played out though, the first initial deal was I thought kind of disrespectful, right and again, in all of this, no hard feelings, no love lost… it’s a business like you said. So the first initial deal was like two years, 60. So I’m like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.”
“Two years, 60? That’s crazy! I’m not signing that. Now we’re getting into the negotiating– No, I’m not taking that deal and so they saying this, that we want you and Kawhi here long term, we want y’all to be here, all of this stuff right. Mind you this was before the season started…maybe October-ish when negotiations first started.”
“As we kept going, it was like they would go up inches, inches, inches to where it was like 44-45… But this was a couple months in between before we got it to 40 something. So I’m still like, nah, I’m not doing that. Then I hear wind of what they’re going to give Kawhi so I’m like, just give me what Kawhi got. Y’all view us the same. We came here together, we want to finish this s**t together.”
Paul George detailed the disconnect between him and the Clippers during contract negotiations, revealing his initial desire to remain in Los Angeles. He expressed his commitment to the city and his goal to win a championship with the Clippers.
However, the initial offer from the Clippers—a two-year, $60 million deal—felt disrespectful to George, considering his contributions to the team. The negotiations progressed slowly, with incremental increases in the offer, but George remained unsatisfied. He compared his situation to Kawhi Leonard’s, noting that both players came to the Clippers together with the intention of finishing their careers in LA.
“I’ll take what Kawhi got, I was cool with that and we were still taking less. Kawhi took less, so if Kawhi takes less, I’m not going to, it’s not about me being paid more than him. I’m going to take what he got. They didn’t want to do that… Let me get to the end of this year and we’ll discuss this again. We’ll pick up conversations again.”
“Season ends, I finish healthy. 74 games played and had one of my most efficient seasons. So now we going into negotiations and they bring it to 3 years, 150. Basically what they wanted to give Kawhi. So a part of me was still like, alright cool.”
“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.”
“I’m taking less, but at least I know I’m here. They didn’t want to do no-trade. They didn’t want to do that so then I’m like, all right, well then it only makes sense for me to do four years, 212. At least pay me my money. If y’all going to trade me, ya’ll going to trade me, but at least now I’m not in a situation where I could have got more, had I just gone a free agency, then just take this deal where y’all could ship me.”
“They didn’t want to do that, so now I was like I’m open to entertaining what’s out there. I thought I played, played well enough for them to be like, ‘You know what? He’s a part of our future.’ I thought I did that. I thought I earned that. Granted, we didn’t win while I was there, but luck has a lot to do with that.”
“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.”
“I love Steve, I love Lawrence, but at that point it didn’t even feel right to come back with that type of energy and be comfortable playing back in LA…Steve is a good dude. I love Steve as an owner, one of the best owners that I played for, but it’s a business I won’t take nobody’s word if they can’t put it in writing, right?” (29:06)
Despite Leonard taking a pay cut, George was willing to accept the same terms, emphasizing that his demand wasn’t about money but about being valued equally to Leonard. However, the Clippers were reluctant to match Leonard’s offer and refused to include a no-trade clause in George’s contract.
This led to a stalemate, despite George finishing the season healthy and playing one of his most efficient seasons. The Clippers eventually offered a three-year, $150 million contract, but without the no-trade clause, George felt undervalued. Consequently, he became open to exploring other opportunities, feeling that he had earned more respect and commitment from the team.
George leaving the Clippers makes it hard for them to compete with the best in the West. They did re-sign Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, but their failure to secure Paul George will haunt them next season.
George also discussed a potential trade with the Golden State Warriors, which was closer to happening than many realized.
“That was a real thing that was close to being done. That deal was close to being done from what I was being told on the situation, they was expressing just how much they wanted me there, how I could have fit in perfectly with Draymond, Steph. Klay probably would’ve stayed. Podziemski, Kuminga, Wiggins.”
“They didn’t know how or what package was going to be there to trade for me… Looney was going to be there and so it was very intriguing and it was still an opportunity to stay close to home, stay on the West Coast, and it was a win-win. I think Steph is a unicorn, one of one player, and Joel’s a unicorn.”
“So it was kind of like a good situation to be in the middle of, but ultimately the deal didn’t go through. I think Clippers didn’t want a certain trade deal that Warriors were willing to give and yeah, it just didn’t happen but it was close. It’d been dope, man. I was looking forward to it, if it happened.” (1:00:17)
Despite Leonard taking a pay cut, George was willing to accept the same terms, emphasizing that his demand wasn’t about money but about being valued equally to Leonard. However, the Clippers were reluctant to match Leonard’s offer and refused to include a no-trade clause in George’s contract. This led to a stalemate, despite George finishing the season healthy and playing one of his most efficient seasons.
The Warriors expressed significant interest in acquiring George, seeing him as a perfect fit alongside Draymond Green, and Stephen Curry, and potentially retaining Klay Thompson. The trade package from the Warriors would have likely included Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, and Andrew Wiggins, while key players like Kevon Looney would remain.
The prospect of joining the Warriors was intriguing for George, as it offered the chance to stay on the West Coast and be part of a championship-caliber team. He admired the unique talents of Curry and saw the opportunity as a win-win situation. However, the deal ultimately fell through due to disagreements over the trade package between the Clippers and Warriors.
The Warriors tried to build a competitive team to give Stephen Curry a few more good years with a strong squad. But their failure to convince the Clippers, coupled with Klay Thompson retiring, means they will find it tough to compete and might be a play-in team next season.
Paul George’s revelations highlight the often intricate and delicate nature of NBA negotiations, where player value, team strategy, and mutual respect play crucial roles. Despite the disappointing outcome with the Clippers, George remains focused on his career which now brings him to the Philadelphia 76ers, showcasing his resilience and commitment to excellence in the NBA.
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