NBA Rumors: The LA Clippers and Paul George are not on the same page when it comes to a potential contract extension, and it could lead toward a game of chicken this offseason.
Over the last two months, not much has gone right for the LA Clippers. At one point this season, the Clippers sat atop the Western Conference standings. That's no longer the case as the Clippers have gone just 11-12 since February 7. The Clippers are clinging to the 4th seed and trying to hold off the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks but no matter where they finish in the West standings, this is a team that will not be heading into the playoffs with much momentum.
And the outlook gets even more complicated for the Clippers heading into the offseason with Paul George set to test free agency. As the NBA offseason quickly approaches, PG openly hitting the free-agent market is looking more and more like a possibility. According to a recent report, the Clippers are "unwilling to meet PG's expectations for his next contract." If this report is indeed accurate, it could set up another chaotic offseason, this time with PG at the center of it all.
Is Paul George still worth the money for the LA Clippers?
Playing still at a high level in which he's averaging 23 points, five rebounds, and four assists per game on 47 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent shooting from 3-point range, there's reason to believe that PG is still worth a max contract. The question is, is he worth that much of an investment for the Clippers? Because if the Clippers aren't willing to pony up the money that he believes he's worth, you'd have to believe that there will be several other teams lining up to do so.
One of the reported teams that are preparing to put on a full-court press on PG heading into free agency is the Philadelphia 76ers. PG is a natural fit next to Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, and the Sixers will have plenty of flexibility to pursue him during the offseason. Whether or not PG is willing to leave the Clippers and sign with the Sixers (or any other team for that matter) is going to be an interesting storyline to watch.
As the NBA offseason quickly approaches, this potential game of chicken between the Clippers and PG is certainly a storyline to keep an eye on.