Paul George focused on playoffs as extension talks with Clippers loom
The star is entering a pivotal offseason as the franchise gets prepared to open new arena.
PLAYA VISTA, Calif. — Roughly 100 days ago, the LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard agreed on a lucrative three-year, $150 million extension that tied the forward to the organization through the 2026-27 season.
“[This] definitely leaves the door open for myself,” Paul George said when asked about Leonard’s extension in January. “But very, very optimistic something will get done on my behalf, as well.”
The following month, George was asked if there had been any movement on his side of things as George is also eligible for an extension. When asked if the goal was to get something done, George replied, “That’s the goal.” Two months later, there’s still no extension. And one does not appear to be coming anytime soon as the organization prepares to begin the postseason on Sunday afternoon.
On Saturday, just 24 hours before Game 1 of the Clippers’ first-round series with the Dallas Mavericks, George was made available to reporters to talk through a bevy of topics. One of those was the extension he has yet to receive.
“That’s not where I’m at mentally right now,” George said when asked where things presently stand between him and the organization.
It’s a fair response. The team’s about to embark on a tough playoff series and he’s locked in on that. It’s a response George is wholeheartedly entitled to.
The day’s final question also delved into the extension side of things and the ongoing talks between George, his representatives, and the Clippers organization. The team’s public relations person called for a last question, and that question had to do with whether or not George and the organization are tabling discussions until after the playoffs are over.
“Thank you, guys,” George remarked before then getting up and leaving without levying a true answer.
Was George getting up and leaving without answering ideal? Not really. Is it understandable? Of course. Does it lead to more questions than answers? Absolutely.
George is preparing to shoulder a workload this postseason that will see him play without fellow running mate Kawhi Leonard for at least the first game if tea leaves and smoke signals are to be read properly.
The 33-year-old George missed all of last year’s postseason due to a right knee sprain, an injury he suffered during a Mar. 21, 2023 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. George missed the final nine games of that regular season before being absent for all five games of the team’s first-round series against Phoenix.
On media day in early October, George said it took him “probably a couple months after we were removed from the playoffs and our season was over with” before he felt back to normal.
George has had a stellar season, earning an All-Star nod for the third time with the Clippers en route to averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. George also shot career highs across the board in field goal percentage (47.1%), 3-point percentage (41.3%), and free throw percentage (90.7%).
In truth, it puts George into a very strong negotiating position.
There is a longstanding belief that George and his representatives are looking for a full four-year, $221 million max contract but that the Clippers are not yet willing to jump to that level. Maybe things change with a fantastic postseason run from George, who has delivered before for the Clippers in the playoffs.
In the eight games that George played without Kawhi Leonard during the 2021 postseason, George averaged 29.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists while the Clippers split those games, 4-4. It delivered the organization their first-ever Conference Finals appearance, primarily on the back of George’s shoulders. George signed an extension with the Clippers six months before that prodigious run.
But now George is up for another one, and the lack of movement on one when Leonard agreed to his own extension a little over three months ago does cause some pause. Especially when factoring in the rumors and fire swirling about teams such as the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers being heavily interested in George’s services should he hit the open market.
George has a $48.8 million player option that he will have to decide on this offseason, but all signs point toward the 33-year-old declining that option and electing to hit free agency for the first time since the 2018 offseason when he re-signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder on a four-year, $137 million deal.
This is not too unfamiliar territory for George — hurtling towards a lucrative free agency while his team is about to endure a tough first-round series. Neither is George having to play without Leonard. The team has had to navigate that repeatedly during the duo’s tenure together in Los Angeles.
However, what does feel like unfamiliar territory is the manner in which this has all played out. What seemed like it would be easy negotiation talks have turned into whatever this is.
While some will say they can’t see George leaving a place so close to where he grew up in Palmdale, it doesn’t mean it’s out of the realm of possibility. George wants to secure a future for himself and his family. Money is the biggest factor in all of this, even more so than being in Los Angeles and having his parents courtside for every game.
That’s his right, and it’s an understandable and justifiable one. George wants his money. He’s played well enough to earn it. The Clippers are, at least for now, holding a hardline stance on not offering out full max contracts to their three stars. A source tells Russo Writes that George had discussions with a player on a rival team in recent weeks that home is indeed not what matters most to him but rather the financial aspect of a new deal.
It’s not often you see this play out in real-time ahead of a postseason series, but this also isn’t a normal situation. The Clippers are at a crossroads. Lose to the Mavericks and changes could come quick, fast, and in a hurry.
Perhaps George senses that and wants to get every last cent he can. If so, Saturday afternoon’s media availability might not be the last time George leaves so abruptly.
I'll be pretty heartbroken if PG leaves the Clips