The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly are Paul George’s preferred destination as an NBA free agent next summer, but that isn’t stopping the other L.A. team from trying to acquire the Indiana Pacers superstar.
“Among them, league sources told Sporting News, are the Clippers, who have three significant free agents — Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick — and are desperate to add a player who could change their perennial postseason disappointment,” Sean Deveney of The Sporting News wrote Monday. “The Clippers have expressed interest in George.”
Signing Paul, Griffin, Redick and fitting George’s $19,508,958 salary for 2017-18 under the salary cap could be a financial headache for the Clippers, but owner Steve Ballmer does have deep pockets — he paid $2 billion to buy the Clippers, after all.
The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly have discussed a George trade with the Pacers. The Cavs can offer Kevin Love or Tristan Thompson, and the Pacers might not get many offers with better players than those two. A Cleveland team with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and George would be much better equipped to take down the Golden State Warriors in a potential 2018 NBA Finals showdown.
That said, the Clippers might as well try, too. Jerry West has joined the team’s front office after a successful run with the Warriors. He’s built championship teams in the past, most notably with the Lakers, and there’s little doubt he’ll explore all options to ensure the Clippers are competitive for the foreseeable future.
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