While the The Los Angeles Clippers hoped to keep Paul George in free agency, it quickly became clear that George would be on the movePaul George’s father thought he might actually join LeBron James and the The Los Angeles Lakers.
After months of fruitless negotiations between the Clippers and George, the nine-time NBA All-Star agreed to a four-year, $212 maximum contract with the Clippers. The Philadelphia 76ersThe deal was quickly completed in the early hours of free agency after Paul George met with the Clippers to inform them of his plans.
In the latest episode of Podcast P with Paul GeorgeThe Sixers star invited his father, where he said he thought there was a chance his son would move to cross-town rivals the Los Angeles Lakers and team up with LeBron James.
“I said to myself, ok, we’ll do it next door then [to the Lakers]but they have already spent too much money,” George Sr. said on the P podcast“I thought we would still go down the tunnel, but we would wear a different colour.”
The Lakers had no way to sign Paul George outright, and bringing him to LA’s other team would have required a complicated sign-and-trade scenario that would move multiple players.
That idea was never seriously considered, as the Sixers quickly reached an agreement with Paul George. His father adds that he felt like the Clippers “stabbed him in the back” with their contract offer.
“It hurt” Paul George Sr. added of his son’s decision to leave Los Angeles. “I felt like they stabbed us in the back because I thought Paul had done a lot for the team, as far as the fan base, the fans were there. He was there. I think he gave them 110 percent and what he asked for, it wasn’t much. But they saw something different.”
Paul George agreed to a four-year contract worth $212 million, more than the Clippers’ offer of a three-year deal worth about $150 million. Their offer was similar to that of Kawhi Leonard, George’s former teammate. George, who initially wanted a four-year deal worth up to $220 million, expressed interest in returning to the Clippers on a similar deal, but wanted a rare no-trade clause in the contract to ensure he wouldn’t be traded soon after.
The no-trade clause was never on the table, nor was the max, meaning George felt compelled to leave with the best interests of himself and his family at the forefront of his decision.
“I didn’t want him to take anything,” Paul George’s father explained. “His thing is he stands up for what he believes in. So he felt like it was a bunch of bullshit. And I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it either. Yes, I support you 100 percent. If you have to go, we’re going to go.”
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“Sure, it put us in a tough spot, but it’s all good. It’s all good. We like being home, but sometimes home can slow us down. He worked hard for it and I thought he should have been paid for it. So we didn’t hesitate to do it. Like, they attacked you like that? Oh no, you have to go.”
Paul George will now make his debut with his fourth different NBA team in 15 seasons. In five seasons with the Clippers, George was a three-time All-Star who averaged 23 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from three-point range.
George will return to Los Angeles to face the Clippers on November 6, 2024.
