Mar 27, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; LA Clippers forward Paul George before action against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Clippers are officially waving the white flag in their pursuit of Paul George.
On Saturday, George entered the free agent market after declining the $48.7 million option on his final season with the Clippers. The move signaled that a departure from LAC was imminent.
The Clippers announced in a statement Sunday that the 9-time All-Star had informed the front office of his intention to sign elsewhere.
“Paul has informed us that he is signing his next contract with another team. Paul is a tremendous talent and an elite two-way player. We feel fortunate for the five years we spent with him. … We will miss Paul. At the same time, we’re excited by the opportunities we’ve now been afforded, including greater flexibility under the new CBA.”
Clippers’ statement on Paul George parting ways following a significant gap in contract talks, exploring an opt-in and trade scenario and excitement about new opportunities and greater flexibility under new CBA to field a “highly competitive team” moving forward: pic.twitter.com/Uajbail3Hk
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) July 1, 2024
In the statement, the Clippers mentioned that the team negotiated with George and his agent for months but were “left far apart” on a potential contract. The team also decided not to push for a sign-and-trade and instead opted for salary cap savings.
The Clippers sent a gargantuan trade package to acquire George from the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019. In five seasons with LAC, George averaged 23.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game with three All-Star nods.
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