Report: ‘Growing Feeling’ Paul George Will Request Trade From Clippers

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, there is a “growing feeling” Paul George will request a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers. 

George could pick up his 2024-25 player option and request a trade from the Clippers. 

“I’m pretty sure that the Clippers’ Paul George is going to dominate conversation all week no matter what happens in the draft,” Stein wrote. “There is a growing feeling leaguewide that the 34-year-old picking up his $48.8 million player option for next season to force the Clippers to trade him is an increasingly realistic scenario after months of fruitless contract extension negotiations between the parties.

“The Clippers appear unwilling to offer a richer deal to George than Kawhi Leonard received in January ($150 million-ish over three seasons) and that has encouraged teams out there to make trade pitches for the All-NBA swingman. Free agency officially begins Sunday at 6 PM ET; we very well could see this PG-13 movie play out by then.”

The Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors are interested in trading for George, sources told Hoops Wire. 

George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Clippers in 2023-24 while shooting 47.1% from the field, 41.3% from beyond the arc and 90.7% from the free-throw line.

LAC has until June 30 to sign George to an extension.

The Clippers lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2024 playoffs.

George and Leonard joined the Clippers in the summer of 2019. LAC hasn’t been to the NBA Finals in franchise history. 

George has career averages of 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists with the Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Clippers. He was born and raised in Palmdale, California. 

According to NBA insiders Sam Amick and Law Murray of The Athletic, the Clippers discussed George trade scenarios at the February trade deadline.

“Only George knows how he truly sees his situation, but it’s worth remembering that the Clippers are known to have shown a willingness to discuss him in a select few trade scenarios heading into the February deadline,” Amick and Murray wrote. “The internal calculus was different back then, of course, with the absence of a new deal with George leaving the Clippers concerned that they might ultimately lose him for nothing in return in free agency.”