Clippers President’s Attempt to Mend ‘Misread’ Paul George Situation May Fall Short as Warriors Prepare to Fulfil $221 Million Demand

A player asking for what is due to him can hardly be considered a terrible thing now, can it? The Clippers’ front office, though, believed it to be the case. At least for a short while. LA and Paul George are yet to reach an agreement on extending his stay. The 34-year-old forward is a free agent this season, with more than enough suitors to offer him his max contract of $221 million. It was under such circumstances that reports said the Clippers weren’t too keen on agreeing to more than what they offered Kawhi Leonard earlier in the year.

Unfortunately, for them, aging or not, PG13 still has a desirable skill set that has made him the hot ticket for this free agency. And as Marc Stein and Chris Haynes said in their pod, Steve Ballmer and Co. clearly “misread” the situation they were in. PG has the upper hand right now. And if the franchise is not ready to give the man what he is due, George has no qualms about taking himself and his talents elsewhere. It seems like the reality of the situation is slowly sinking in now. In the latest media availability, the Clippers’ president, Lawrence Frank, looked like he was trying to amend things.

“We’ve had ongoing conversations with Paul and Aaron Mintz, his agent. We love Paul. We very much want to retain Paul. But we very much understand that this is a business and players have a finite amount of time to be able to not just make the most amount of money but to be able to pursue whatever they want.”

“We hope Paul’s decision is to be here. He’s been awesome, been an All-Star three out of the five years. He’s one of the best two-way players in the league, a terrific person, a great family. We hope he’s here, but also respect the fact that if he chooses to opt out, that’s his choice. He’s earned it and we’ll see how it plays out,” Clippers beat writer, Joey Linn of SI tweeted Frank’s response.

It definitely is the 9x All-Star’s choice! And one that the Warriors would be all too happy to hasten.

The Golden State Warriors are willing to oblige Paul George in any way they can

The Dubs are themselves in a conundrum with Klay Thompson. In fact, they are in a similar situation as the Clippers. The 4x champion wants a contract which he believes he is due. Unfortunately, the underwhelming season Klay had and a dip in his performances have the Warriors’ front office hesitating. Much like LA, they haven’t yet reached a middle ground where all the parties involved would be happy. But they have been watching the free agency as closely as any other team in the NBA.

Given how they are looking to pair a superstar alongside Stephen Curry for his fifth title before the 10x All-Star hangs up his boots, George would be just the right person. Not to mention, they are reportedly happy to give him the $221 million he is asking for and are “aggressively pursuing” the same. Of course, that would mean the absolute end of Thompson in Golden State. Despite the declining age and production, the Sea Captain still has enough market. Well, anyway, we won’t have to wait too long to see how the free agency shapes up for these two.

Given the state of things, would it be considered harsh if Paul George did indeed make the move from Los Angeles to the Bay Area? Let us know your thoughts on the matter.

 But before you go, be sure to check this video of Leonard Armato’s take on the deadly duo, Shaq and Kobe.

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