One NBA insider outlines the three most likely outcomes for Paul George as the start of Free Agency quickly approaches.
As the start of NBA Free Agency quickly approaches, one of the bigger headling stars is Paul George. With the opportunity to decline the final year of his contract with the LA Clippers, George will have the chance to test the unrestricted free agency market. But, at the same time, he could have other options at his disposal.
Because he has yet to make a decision on his player option, there are other potential pathways that George can take heading into the official start of the offseason. According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, he believes that there are only three true outcomes for George this summer.
In the words of Windy, he believes that George will either re-sign with the Clippers, sign with a team with salary cap space (most likely the Philadelphia 76ers), or opt into the final year of his contract to force a trade to a team like the Golden State Warriors. Those are three scenarios that Windy believes are most likely to come to fruition for George.
What is the best option for Paul George?
Predicting what George should do is difficult. Especially considering that we don't know what he prioritizes most at this point in his career. In theory, you would assume that George would want to put himself in the best position to win a championship. George is not getting any younger and is already 34 years old. He has maybe 1-2 years of prime years left in his career until he can expect some aggression.
Signing with a team that can help him win a championship would seem like a safe assumption for George if he does end up leaving the Clippers.
As the start of free agency quickly approaches, I still believe the most likely outcome for George is that he ends up re-signing with the Clippers. In fact, if LA adds that fourth-year option to their offer, you would assume that George would accept that deal. The problem for George is that the Clippers aren't reportedly offering that at the moment.
The big question over the next few hours before the start of free agency is whether that will change. If it doesn't, that's when George has to make a big decision regarding his future in the NBA. Either way, it should be interesting to watch it all unfold.