Brian Windhorst explains the 3 ways Paul George could shake up the entire NBA in free agency

paul-george

With the 2024 NBA Finals coming to an end, the NBA offseason is entering a full swing. The free agency portal is set to open in just weeks, which means teams are working behind the scenes to acquire their next big piece.

The free agency pool this summer features Paul George, who is entering the latter stage of his career. Although he’s older, he’s still an elite talent, which is why teams are lining up to catch the big fish in the pond.

Breaking down PG13’s ‘3 options’

During the 2023-24 season, George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 74 games. For consecutive years, George’s numbers dropped across the board, perhaps raising a small red flag. This might’ve had something to do with why contract negotiations in L.A. have stalled out.

But in response to this, George has three ways he can exercise the option for his future, according to veteran ESPN insider Brian Windhorst. Speaking on the "Pat McAfee Show," Windhorst said George has the power to make a decision that can potentially rattle the league as a whole.

Among the several teams that have an interest in George are the Philadelphia 76ers and the Orlando Magic. Philadelphia is prepared to make an offer George will find hard to turn down, while the Magic can offer a slightly lesser contract but an attractive destination.

“Paul George is an interesting guy to watch,” Windhorst began. “So, he has a player option in his contract. What happens with Paul George, I think, is gonna ultimately really affect the market. So, he’s got three options, and his three options are going to be very interesting to watch around the draft."

“Option 1 is he opts out and becomes an unrestricted free agent. He can stay in L.A, he can go anywhere. [...] The other thing he can do is he can go to the Clippers and make what I would call the ‘Chris Paul’... here’s what's gonna happen: I’m either gonna walk away for nothing or you’re gonna trade me where I want to be traded. Then, he would opt into his contract, get traded to a team — that way the Clippers would get assets back – and then sign a new extension with that new team when that time comes down the line.

“Or option 3, he’s free to extend his contract with the Clippers right now. There’s nothing stopping him from doing that, and maybe he will. But obviously, he and the Clippers have swapped numbers and they’re not on the same page. So which one of those three options happen will be a big factor in the market.”

The Clippers see only one way out

Being the L.A. native that he is — coming to the Clippers in 2019 after long being rumored to be in pursuit of going home — the basic indication is that PG13 would love to finish his career where he is if he can get that contract offer looking as big as he wants it. The problem is, L.A. is unwilling to do what they did with Kawhi Leonard: Dump a max contract at his feet.

George may feel that he is still worth the top dollars. But frankly, the Clippers don’t want to shelve out two max contracts knowing how the last few seasons have gone. Signing Leonard to the max but George to a discount gives them an escape patch in their back pocket if things fail again next season. But if the Clippers go for broke with both aging superstars, they see the writing on the wall that says they may end up having their hands tied behind their back.

For George, he may have considerable leverage in negotiations. But in order to make the most of a late-career contract, the nine-time All-Star will need to make sound decisions.