Paul George Rumors: Thunder Star 'Gone,' Will Join New Team in Free Agency

Paul George's stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder will reportedly come to an end after one season. 

Per ESPN's Ryen Russillo on the latest episode of his podcast, George won't be re-signing with the Thunder as a free agent this summer. 

"Today is the first time I've heard from anybody that I trust that George is gone," Russillo said, via SLAM Online's Ryne Nelson. "... I don't know where. It's a 'he's gone' deal.”

After Oklahoma City's season came to an end on Friday with a 96-91 loss against the Utah Jazz in Game 6 of the Western Conference quarterfinals, George noted he wanted to keep a dialogue open with key figures from the team. 

"I think the biggest thing is just trying to keep a relationship with Sam [Presti], continue to talk with Sam," George said, via ESPN.com's Royce Young. "Continue to talk with Billy [Donovan], with Russ, and figure out the direction we want to go as a group."

George holds a $20.7 million player option for the 2018-19 season, per Spotrac. He can receive a max deal worth $177 million over five years from the Thunder, compared to $132 million over four years if he signs elsewhere, per USA Today's Sam Amick. 

The 27-year-old George averaged 21.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game with the Thunder this season.