Back in 2019, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George joined forces to make the Los Angeles Clippers a relevant team in the league. But after years of disappointment, the former has now left for the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason. Before he did, PG13 revealed what he talked about with the two-time NBA champion.
A few days ago, George revealed the details of his contract negotiations with the Clippers before signing with Philadelphia as a free agent. The nine-time All-Star stated that Los Angeles initially offered him a two-year, $60 million contract, which he deemed “disrespectful.”
As negotiations progressed, the Clippers increased their offer to around $44-45 million per year, but George was still unsatisfied, as he wanted a deal similar to what they offered Leonard. The two-time NBA champion had signed a three-year, $153 million extension with LA in the middle of the 2023-24 season.
The Sixers star revealed that at the end of the season, Los Angeles offered him a three-year, $150 million contract, which was essentially the same deal they gave Leonard. However, when George requested a no-trade clause, his former team declined. He then asked for a four-year, $212 million contract without the no-trade agreement, but the Clippers were not interested.
Ultimately, George signed a four-year, $212 million contract with the Sixers, which included a player option for the final season. He expressed disappointment that he could not remain with the Clippers, as he had hoped to finish his career in Los Angeles.
Philadelphia 76ers’ Paul George Reveals What He and Kawhi Leonard Talked About After Los Angeles Clippers Exit
Before leaving for Philadelphia, George had a conversation with Leonard about his plans to leave Los Angeles. In an episode of his podcast on YouTube, the All-Star wing detailed what they talked about.
DALLAS: “P, I want to know, did you have any conversations with Kawhi before you made the decision to leave the Clippers? When did you have that conversation and how did it go?”
PG: Yeah, absolutely, absolutely! I owed Kawhi that conversation. I called him up and was just like, man, listen, I think I’m going to go elsewhere. Conversations with the Clippers didn’t go how I wanted to. I kind of broke down how I told you guys how it all played out and we had that conversation and I was like, man, I got to do what’s best. He understood like ‘Go get your bag like P, go get your back. I can’t even be mad at you.’ I look at Kawhi as one of my best friends in this league. Somebody that I f--- with.
Our families love each other. So it was tough to leave him just with how much I enjoyed being out there with him. That was one of a big decision too that weighed a lot on me was just, damn, I’m leaving my boy. But I had to have that conversation with him. We talked and he gave me his blessings of like, man, just go do what’s best for you.”
Both Leonard and George first joined the Clippers in 2019 and were projected to be perennial playoff contenders from the moment they joined forces. However, injuries have hindered the pair from going deep in the offseason over the past years.
The next time they’ll meet each on the court will be as competitors as George will soon play in a better situation with former MVP Joel Embiid and rising star Tyrese Maxey. In any case, the bond between the two will always be stronger on and off the court.
