UPDATE: The Clippers were favored to bring back Paul George, but the two sides met shortly after free agency began and decided it was time to part ways. Odds on where he'd land were off the board shortly after the news broke. At the same time, ESPN reported that the 76ers are "strong frontrunners" to sign George.
Paul George declined his $48.7 million player option with the Clippers, electing free agency with plans to take meetings with the Clippers, Magic and 76ers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Leading up to Saturday afternoon’s deadline, rumors swirled over the potential of the Clippers re-signing George and then trading the superstar elsewhere. Instead, George will be free to sign wherever he desires as an unrestricted free agent.
DraftKings lists the Clippers as the favorites (-200) to sign George, followed by the 76ers (+400), Warriors (+400), Thunder (+800), Rockets (+1000), Magic (+1200), Lakers (+2000), Heat (+2500), Knicks (+2500) and Cavaliers (+2500).
George, a six-time All-NBA selection, is arguably the biggest name on the free-agent market this offseason. LeBron James, who declined his $51.4 million option with the Lakers, is expected to re-sign with the franchise after it selected his son, Bronny James, in the second round of this year’s draft.
George, 34, is entering his 15th NBA season. He averaged 22.6 points across 74 games during the 2023-24 campaign. He shot a career-best 41.3% from 3-point range and notched his ninth All-Star appearance, guiding the Clippers to 51 wins and the fourth seed in the West. Los Angeles lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Mavericks, the eventual West champion.
The Clippers acquired George in 2019 in a blockbuster trade with the Thunder that paired George with All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard. In five seasons with Leonard and George, the Clippers have reached the playoffs four times, including a conference finals appearances in 2020-21.
On his podcast, Podcast P, George recently said that chasing championships isn’t his priority, and he is focused on finding a suitor that will play “the right style of basketball” to maximize his skill set at this stage in his career.
