Paul George at crossroads

It's been a long time since we had Pandemic P in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. Paul George has redeemed himself, playing at an all-NBA third team level. Since Kawhi Leonard kept getting injured, he has ably carried the LA Clippers to remain competitive.

It is now time to reap his reward, as he opts out and enters unrestricted free agency. He can choose to stay with the LA Clippers, but that depends on Kawhi. If he is playing, he is a top 10 NBA talent, maybe even top 5. But more often than not, he is injured, and he contributes to the Clippers as much as we do–nothing.

George, or PG-13, is no longer a first option player, but he is good enough to raise the level of a good team to contender status. There is definite interest, and young teams like the Orlando Magic or the Oklahoma City Thunder can woo him. However, George is at the tail end of his career, probably on his last contract.

George has yet to win an NBA championship, even make the Finals. Those are definitely milestones he would want to experience in his career, so he should join a good team, and make them contenders.

Rivals from East and West

George is a prime talent and an outstanding veteran, and he would be an ideal leader for a young team, but he would definitely want to team up with other superstars. The easiest prediction is with the Philadelphia 76ers. He would form a triumvirate with Joel Embiid and the newly minted Most Improved Player in the league, Tyrese Maxey.

That seems like a no-brainer, but George waited his whole career to end up in California. There are four teams in his home-state, and he chose between the two LA teams. His pride prevented him from joining LeBron James, and it eventually deprived him of a championship. Now, he has to pursue that at 34 years old.

What if there is an opening with the Golden State Warriors? He will play with an all-timer in Steph Curry, and he would be a great fit with their style of play. There are rumors that the Warriors are not prioritizing Klay Thompson's contract renewal, and that PG-13 is the primary reason.

The Warriors are maxed and capped out, and they actually need to be creative to acquire PG-13. They can do that, as seen with Kevin Durant in 2016. This would be a similar move, but not to the same extent. Also, they would really have to let go of Klay Thompson.

Will it be worth it? Paul George will make the Sixers contenders, but the Warriors may be a bit far off with the highly competitive Western Conference. It should also be noted that PG also has an injury history of his own.

Sign and Trade Possibilities

Another angle is to work with the LA Clippers themselves to execute a sign-and-trade. Teams would love this since it would allow them to get a consolation prize, rather than lose their star for nothing. The Miami Heat would be an option here, with Jimmy Butler losing Pat Riley's favor.

The New York Knicks would have been there, but they already addressed their need for shooting and defense at the small forward position by acquiring Mikal Bridges. Could the Lakers make an offer? This is always an angle, and a move that was already being predicted a full decade ago.

Of course, there is always the option to gamble with Kawhi's health and stay with the Clippers. They will offer him the most money, and stay in his home state. But he has rolled his dice with Kawhi for the past five seasons, and lost every time.

Gilas Gallant Stand

Gilas looked good in their friendlies against Turkey and Poland, two legitimate European teams. It was just noticeable that Kai Sotto seemed out of sorts. Perhaps it's best for him to just play his game and not always look over his shoulder for NBA scouts.

That's unsolicited advice from a spectator. I'm not saying he should give up his NBA dream, but to focus only on the game at hand.