Paul George Won’t Re-Sign With The Thunder
With trading for Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, the Oklahoma City Thunder generated the most noise and hype during last year’s offseason. Many NBA fans believed that this team will have a realistic chance to win an NBA title.
Seven months later, we know that this wasn’t the case… by a landslide. After a disappointing first round playoff exit, there are more questions than ever, when talking about the Thunder.
This year, basically was the only chance for a title. Paul George has his contract expiring, and even though he said he’ll be thinking about staying, a source now claimed that George does not intend to re-sign with Oklahoma City.
Russillo [ESPN]: “Today is the first time I’ve heard from anybody that I trust that George is gone.”
To L.A.?
Russillo: “I don’t know where. It’s a ‘He’s gone’ deal.”
This only confirms what other sources have been speculating. Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times said George’s plan to play for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018 did not change.
“According to people not authorized to speak publicly, George, a Palmdale native, is still telling friends that he intends to be a Laker.”
Last summer, the Lakers were reluctant to trade important assets for a player who would likely sign with them anyway. That’s the risk the Lakers were willing to take in order to keep both of their lottery picks, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, from the past two years. Possibly the greatest move by the Lakers’ front office in years.