According to reports, Paul George was presented with multiple trade alternatives by the Golden State Warriors to the Los Angeles Clippers prior to his decision to opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agency.
According to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, the Warriors’ offers for Paul George included different combinations of Chris Paul, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and a future first-round pick. The report clarifies that the Warriors wouldn’t include all these players in a single deal but believed they had proposed several variations that the Clippers could accept.
Golden State was prepared to offer Paul George a new max contract extension, but for any trade to go through, he needed to opt into the final year of his existing contract.
Instead, Paul George chose to opt out and test the free-agent market. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, George is scheduled to meet with the Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Orlando Magic at the start of free agency. Both the Sixers and Magic have the cap space needed to sign George directly.
For months, the Clippers and Paul George have been negotiating an extension without much success. George is firm on wanting a four-year maximum deal, while the Clippers have offered a three-year, $149.7 million extension, similar to what Kawhi Leonard signed in January. This has led to a standoff, with the Clippers now just hours away from free agency and potentially losing George for nothing if they don’t meet his demands.
According to Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations for the Clippers, Paul George is someone the team wants to stay. They must, however, also take into account the new collective bargaining agreement’s financial effects.
“This is a business, and the new CBA affects teams like ours,” Frank explained. “With our top players in their 30s, it makes building a sustainable roster more challenging.”
“If there were no CBA, with Steve Ballmer as our owner, we’d have free rein,” Frank said. “But under the new CBA, it’s not just about the money. It’s about how we build a sustainable roster and keep our flexibility for transactions. This means we have to make some really tough decisions.”
Right now, the Clippers are about $54.1 million below the first tax threshold and $65 million below the second. Re-signing Paul George would bring them close to the first threshold, even before considering the possibility of James Harden returning. Keeping both Harden and George would push them well past the second threshold, significantly limiting their roster flexibility in the future.
The current CBA has put the Warriors in a tight spot with their salary cap, potentially leading to Klay Thompson leaving in free agency this summer due to financial considerations. Despite being one of the NBA’s highest-spending teams recently, owner Joe Lacob has openly expressed a desire to avoid hefty luxury tax penalties.
The Warriors will have to make an important choice if they are unable to sign George. By cutting Chris Paul from his $30 million deal, they might choose to fall below the luxury tax threshold. However, the Warriors would likely be committing to a rebuilding phase and maybe receiving lottery picks in the upcoming seasons if they made this decision.
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