The Los Angeles Clippers narrowly avoided one of the most epic collapses in NBA playoff history in Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. Paul George had 26 points in the first half and helped guide LA to a 31-point lead before Kyrie Irving and the Mavs started chipping away.
But it was George who came through in the clutch, essentially sealing the win with a fadeaway three from the corner with Derrick Jones Jr. draped all over him. That shot gave the Clippers a lead they’d never relinquish and a win to tie the series 2-2 as the teams head back to LA for Game 5.
PG finished with 33 points, again showing his value to a team sans Kawhi Leonard for the second time in the series.
The Clippers signed the oft-injured Leonard to a three-year, $153 million extension earlier this year. Logic says George would’ve been the next player to re-up with LA, but four months later, that isn’t the case. Could the six-time All-NBA wing find a new destination in free agency?
Clippers, Paul George may go separate ways with Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic ready to pounce in free agency
On the latest episode of The Hoop Collective (h/t Bleacher Report), ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst questioned whether the Clippers are ready to give George a max extension, something they didn’t do with Leonard:
It’s just a matter of whether the Clippers are gonna give him the max, which is something they don’t wanna do because they didn’t give it to Kawhi [Leonard].
Fellow NBA reporter Ramona Shelburne said two specific teams are waiting and watching to see if George becomes a free agent:
There’s two teams that are paying very close attention to Paul George: the Orlando Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers. Because both of them have the money to throw at him and have a need for a wing, just like him, a veteran guy.
Leonard is the better player, but extending him was far riskier than shelling out money to keep George in LA. Leonard hasn’t been consistently healthy since he signed with the Clippers in 2019 and his injury issues are only magnified in the postseason. George isn’t always 100 percent, but he doesn’t bring the same level of concern Kawhi does.
LA will have to deal with James Harden’s free agency after this season as well. But extending George seemed like the easiest call of any of the three. If he and the Clippers can’t reach an agreement, there are already two teams rumored to be interested in giving him the max deal he craves. More may pop up as the offseason goes along.
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