The Los Angeles Clippers are expected to have a busy offseason this year.
They are expected to bring in some new faces this summer, but in recent hours, a surprising report suggested they could part with one of their stars.
According to analyst Howard Beck, Paul George is available for trade.
.@HowardBeck on the best/worst case scenarios for Victor Wembanyama, the standoff between Dame + the Blazers & the likelihood of PG-13 being traded.
🟢 https://t.co/OKo4vIazqP
❤️ https://t.co/NzSnGt8Ffc
🍎 https://t.co/Ai0McGoLGA pic.twitter.com/Dr3IRjVgHL
— FnA Union (@FnAshow) June 23, 2023
Beck explains that the veteran swingman is still highly valued within the Clippers organization, but he could ‘be in play’ if the right offer comes along.
The New York Knicks were mentioned as a serious candidate to land George by Ian Begley of SNY.
The Knicks and Clippers have had contact about a potential Paul George trade, per SNY sources. It is unknown if Clippers are willing to move George. @TheSteinLine reported earlier that Clips gave rival teams the impression that they were gauging George’s trade value last week.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 22, 2023
George will enter his fifth season with the Clippers. He’s dealt with injuries over the years, and this past season wasn’t an exception.
He played 56 games, averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.
The Paul George-Kawhi Leonard partnership hasn’t delivered the desired results for the Clippers, with injuries and inconsistency playing a key role in that.
This past season, they only played 38 games together.
George was hurt down the stretch and couldn’t play in the playoffs.
Russell Westbrook stepped up and became the second-best player on the team after George went down.
With Kawhi Leonard suffering another knee injury in the postseason, Westbrook took over and tried to lead the team past the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
The Clippers have reasons to be frustrated with George and Leonard, and many see this upcoming season as the last chance for this tandem.
If season ends tomorrow, here’s Kawhi Leonard & Paul George’s records in their first 4 years together with Clippers:
2019-20:
50 games played (27-10 reg, 7-6 post)2020-21:
54 games played (32-11 reg, 6-5 post)2021-22:
0 games2022-23:
38 games played (24-14 reg, 0-0 post)— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 25, 2023
In four seasons together, Leonard and George have played 142 games, boasting a record of 96-46.
NEXT:
Fans React To A Recent Paul George Trade Rumor