“Mortgaged Their Future”: NBA Analyst Bashes LA Clippers For Offering Paul George a Max Extension

The LA Clippers offered Paul George a max-extension contract and he took it without any hesitation. George has said that he wants to retire a Clipper, and the franchise has taken a massive step towards it. His future is secured, but the Clips are being blamed for their desires. 

Paul George came to the team during the 2019 offseason through a massive trade package. The Clippers offered Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilegous-Alexander and draft picks till 2026 to OKC in return for the talented swingman. 

It may have been a stretch too far and the management would have felt the harsh effects of it during the 2020 playoffs. However, they showcased their extended belief in PG by offering a massive contract that pays him $226 million through five years. 

“It makes sense for Paul George because you secure long-term financial security. And I guess for the Clippers considering what they gave up, they’ve basically mortgaged their future,” exclaimed Shannon Sharpe about the contract extension. 

Sharpe engaged in a conversation with Skip Bayless on their television show, and neither stood in favor of the Clippers offering a mammoth amount for a player who’s yet to prove himself with the team.

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The LA Clippers have now committed their future to Paul George

The Clippers parted ways with 2022, 2024, and 2026 draft picks as part of the trade package along with the Miami Heat’s first-round picks in 2021 and 2023. So as Sharpe put it, they’ve basically mortgaged their draft future by placing trust in George. 

“Your future until 2026, you got no future when it comes to the draft,” Sharpe mentioned.  Of course, a draft pick can’t produce results like George does immediately, but giving away too many assets for one player might lead to a pitfall. 

George failed to take the Clippers to the conference finals in 2020 and even worse, he struggled to deliver when they needed him the most during Game 7 against the Nuggets.

 “If worse comes to worse, you can trade him, so you can get some of that back,” added Sharpe on the Clippers’ solution if PG fails to fire. 

It made every sense in the world for Paul George to accept the contract extension and pledge his services to the Clippers. “You’d be foolish to not take that kind of money,” Sharpe precisely put it. 

But is it right on the Clippers’ part? Paul George is undoubtedly one of the top players in the league, but not many would agree with him being paid $40 million a year!