The Los Angeles Clippers were eliminated from the first round of the NBA playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks. The Clippers and the Mavs seemingly go up against each other in the playoffs every season. The Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard and were thoroughly outplayed by the Mavericks in the final two games. Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic both put on clinics and led the team over the Clippers. The Clippers have a roster of aging stars. They want to keep James Harden, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard together, but that’s going to mean someone taking a pay cut. Reportedly, Paul George isn’t going to be the guy who rejected the Clippers’ initial contract offers.
This offseason, the Los Angeles Clippers hope to keep both Paul George and James Harden, but they have thus far attempted to do it at a reduced cost. Kawhi Leonard has already inked a three-year, $152.4 million discounted deal with the Clippers. Their ballooned salary is getting out of hand. If Pual Goegre and James Harden both take less than they command in the market, the Clips might be competitive next season. The keyword is “might.” Paul George doesn’t want anything less than the max.
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Paul George Will Become Free Agent For Max Deal
Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations for the Clippers, commented on the Clippers star’s future. He said Monday, “We’d like to be able to bring back and retain Paul and James.” He continued, “We’re hopeful we can, but also understand and respect the fact that they’re free agents. Paul has a decision with his option. James will be an unrestricted free agent, so our intent is to bring him back, but also realize that they’re elite players and they’ll have choices.” George has made it known that he wants his contract extended. If the Clippers had offered him a max deal, he probably would have signed it by now. It appears that they haven’t so far. It’s a strange move for an organization with not a lot of leverage.
Retaining Paul George is the most important objective for the Clippers. With Paul George, they have one of the best wings in the league. Without him, they go from being an old but competitive team to an old team that’s not competing. It’s vital they stay competitive also because their new arena is opening up in LA soon. Overall, the situation in LA is up in the air, and The Clippers have a lot to take care of this offseason.
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