The transfer places George on observe to turn into an unrestricted free agent, and he intends to schedule conferences with the Clippers – who management his Chicken rights– and different suitors with cap room starting on Sunday night, says Wojnarowski.
The choice additionally signifies that an opt-in-and-trade situation is off the desk for George, so over-the-cap groups who had been hoping to accumulate him – together with the Warriors – will not have a path to take action.
George turned 34 in Could however has continued to provide like one of many NBA’s finest wings lately. In 74 video games in 2023-24, he averaged 22.6 factors, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in 33.8 minutes per sport, posting a robust taking pictures line of .471/.413/.907.
The Clippers signed their different star ahead – Kawhi Leonard – to a three-year, $152M contract extension in January and have reportedly tried to get George locked as much as the same deal, which is under his most by way of each years (he can rise up to 4) and {dollars}. The Los Angeles native has been unwilling to signal what his hometown workforce has placed on the desk thus far and – with the 2 sides apparently at a stalemate – will weigh his choices on the open market.
The Sixers, who can have greater than sufficient cap room to accommodate a maximum-salary contract, have lengthy been seen as the largest menace to the Clippers for George. A report final week indicated that Philadelphia’s curiosity in pursuing George had “waned,” however Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (X hyperlink) hears from sources that the 76ers are nonetheless anticipated to aggressively attempt to lure George away from the West Coast. The Magic are one other workforce with important cap room that has been talked about as a possible suitor.
As our most wage projections for 2024-25 present, rival suitors will be capable of provide George as much as a projected $212.2M over 4 years, whereas the Clippers might bid as much as about $221M over these 4 years. Usually, Los Angeles would be capable of provide a fifth yr to a Chicken-rights free agent, however that’s not an possibility for George as a result of over-38 rule.
Whereas a sign-and-trade deal sending George to a brand new workforce is technically potential, it doubtless received’t be a sensible possibility for over-the-cap suitors. A workforce that takes again wage in alternate for a signed-and-traded participant turns into hard-capped on the second tax apron, so buying upwards of $40M in salaries for George most likely received’t be viable for the Clippers.
