There are whispers that the Golden State Warriors may be entering the race to land Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George. Given the Warriors do not have cap space, George makes more sense as a potential trade candidate if the guard opts into the final season of his four-year, $176 million contract.
Heading into NBA free agency, CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn dropped a lengthy message on X with his predictions for where the top players will land. The NBA analyst predicts that the Warriors will acquire George via a blockbuster trade with the Clippers.
Quinn has the Clippers landing Jonathan Kuminga, Chris Paul, Gary Payton II and future draft picks. The Warriors acquire George in the deal to pair with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Two things worth noting in terms of the logistics of this proposed deal. The Warriors pushed back the deadline for Paul’s salary to be fully guaranteed from June 28 to June 30. Also, George would need to opt into his current deal rather than become a free agent.
Even if George does opt out, the former All-Star’s options could widen beyond teams with cap space if he pushed for a sign-and-trade. Yet, Golden State would have a much less complicated path to adding George if he is not a free agent given the team does not have cap space.
The Warriors’ Interest in Paul George Has ‘Increased the Chill’ Between Klay Thompson & Golden State
"[The Clippers] are not acting like they're desperate to keep [Paul George]... They are not offering him the max contract... Why are they not worried about [him] pulling all the stops to try and force his way to [the Warriors]?"
— Brian Windhorst 👀pic.twitter.com/HbHm1iI7WL— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 28, 2024
“[The Clippers] are not acting like they’re desperate to keep [Paul George]… They are not offering him the max contract… Why are they not worried about [him] pulling all the stops to try and force his way to [the Warriors]?”
— Brian Windhorst 👀
NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Golden State’s interest in George is complicating the team’s relationship with Klay Thompson. The Golden State star hits NBA free agency on June 30.
“As The Stein Line has been reporting since Monday, Golden State has this week prioritized the trade pursuit of the LA Clippers’ Paul George above all other business,” Stein wrote in a June 28, 2024, story, “The latest on Klay Thompson.” “Yet that has only increased the chill between Thompson and the club after months of spotty and now scant contact between the sides.
“The Warriors have always planned to turn back to Thompson to try to sign him after exploring all of their trade options with Chris Paul’s $30 million expiring contract and the Friday guarantee deadline attached to Paul’s deal, but it is not yet known if the 34-year-old will be amenable to such overtures.”
Golden State Could Look to Replace Klay Thompson With Paul George
The Warriors and Chris Paul mutually agreed to push back his guarantee date on $30 million, per @wojespn.
With this happening, it likely indicates Golden State is indeed preparing to pursue Paul George and other star-level players.
George has battled injuries in recent years but was able to start 74 games last season for Los Angeles. The veteran missed significant time in each of the previous four seasons.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Anthony Slater also reported that Golden State is interested in landing George. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski previously reported that the Warriors attempted to strike a wild trade for LeBron James at last season’s trade deadline.
“League sources say the Warriors, who have a sensitive free agency situation of their own with Klay Thompson, have legitimate interest in making George part of their new core alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green,” Amick and Slater noted in a June 28 article titled, “NBA free agency: Paul George to the Warriors? Plus, Klay Thompson’s options, more.”
“This sort of move would be from the same Joe Lacob playbook we saw on display in mid-February, when the Warriors owner led a failed effort to land LeBron James heading into the trade deadline.”
Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports contributor covering the NFL, NBA and golf for Heavy.com. His work has been prominently featured on NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated. More about Jonathan Adams
