One of the NBA’s household names might soon be on the move.
ESPN’s NBA insider Brian Windhorst offered Monday on “Get Up” that the Clippers could trade star forward Paul George by “this weekend.”
Windhorst explained that George has a “different menu of options,” including opting into the final year of his contract with the Clippers to facilitate a trade — which would necessitate the fastest timeline.
“He could opt into his contract and get traded by this weekend,” Windhorst said. “That is something that is going to come to a head in the next day or two if he wants to go with that option, because obviously you’d have to negotiate a trade. Then, the team wouldn’t necessarily need salary cap space.
‘We’re going to see some action in that, probably coming up very quickly after the draft.”
The Clippers have been trying to extend George before this latest fork in the road, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that extension conversations between the two sides were “ongoing” after Kawhi Leonard signed a three-year, $153 million extension in mid-January.
George has one year worth $48.8 million left on the four-year extension he signed with Los Angeles in December 2020 worth up to $190 million.
Windhorst listed re-signing with the Clippers on a new deal as one of George’s three options, along with the opt-in leading into a trade or opting out of his deal to become a free agent.
The forward was an All-Star both of the last two years after playing in only 31 games in 2021-22 due to a torn UCL in his right arm.
This past year, the Fresno State product teamed up with Leonard and James Harden to help the Clippers claim the West’s No. 4 seed but lost in the first round to the Mavericks.
Since George arrived in Hollywood in 2019, the Clippers have made the playoffs in four of five seasons but have not advanced beyond the Western Conference finals.
If George opts into his contract to set up an exit from Los Angeles, insider Marc Stein reported that the Knicks could be a candidate to land the 34-year-old.
Other contenders for the nine-time All-Star, whether via trade or free agency, include the Magic, Rockets and 76ers, although a recent report made Philadelphia seem like a long shot.
George mostly recently made his debut as a commentator, assisting ESPN’s pregame coverage of Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals.