Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on June 29 that Los Angeles Clippers superstar Paul George is declining his $48.7 million option and entering free agency. The Golden State Warriors were believed to have an interest in George if he opted into his contract, allowing them to facilitate a trade.
That option is now gone.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported that the Warriors are “under the impression” that George isn’t an option, and his opt-out confirms that.
This Move Gives Klay Thompson ‘Leverage’
Klay Thompson looks poised to hit free agency, which starts on June 30 at 6 p.m. Eastern time. According to Monte Poole of NBC Sports, this gives Thompson leverage with the Warriors, as they “dread” losing him and Chris Paul without landing a star.
“Paul George opting out boosts already high likelihood he chooses between Clippers and Sixers. Clips have advantage – for now – per source,” Poole tweeted on June 29. “This gives Klay Thompson leverage with Warriors, who dread the idea of Klay and CP3 walking without a star coming in.”
George, who’s a different player than Thompson, would’ve still given them a clear replacement had he been traded to the team. If Thompson now leaves in free agency, the Warriors would lose an all-time franchise great, and not having George hurts that even more.
There’s a chance that Thompson will return to the Warriors, but according to Slater, he could leave regardless of the contract they offer him if they do give him an offer.
“But that’s not necessarily the case. Even if the Warriors eventually approach Thompson with a competitive offer, matching or exceeding the money and years, it has become increasingly conceivable, according to league sources, that Thompson will decide to leave regardless, searching for a fresh start in a different environment, detached from some of the built-up friction of the previous couple seasons,” Slater wrote on June 22.
Where Do the Warriors Go From Here?
The Golden State Warriors’ offseason was already viewed as challenging. Although they have assets to facilitate a trade, George looked to be the best option available.
Dejounte Murray was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans on June 28, losing another option for the Warriors to pursue.
Wojnarowski said on an episode of “SportsCenter” on June 29 that Lauri Markkanen would take a “great, great deal” to pry him from the Utah Jazz. The Warriors do have young talent in Jonathan Kuminga and others, but their lack of tradeable first-round picks compared to other potential suitors makes it tough to picture a deal.
Bobby Marks of ESPN said on an appearance on “Sirius XM NBA Radio” on June 29 that the Chicago Bulls have been trying to trade guard Zach LaVine, but “I don’t even think if they attached a first round pick teams would take him.”
LaVine was injured last season but averaged 24.8 points and shot 48.5% from the field and 37.5% from 3-point range on 7.1 attempts per game in 2022-23. If the Warriors can’t find any other options they’re interested in, taking a chance on LaVine could make sense.
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