Clippers' Paul George on Russell Westbrook: 'You Know, We Need a Point Guard'

Paul George is leading the charge for the Los Angeles Clippers to sign Russell Westbrook if he receives a buyout from the Utah Jazz.

Speaking to reporters after Friday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, George explained the Clippers "need a point guard."

"But you know, [at] the same [time], I think we're good as well. If nothing happened, we got enough in this locker room to be able to make it work," he added. "But it would definitely improve our team if we had that traditional point guard to kind of get us in things and make the game easy. So hopefully Russell sees this and we figure something out."

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne (starts at 1:45 mark) reported on Wednesday that George "already started recruiting" Westbrook to Los Angeles after he was traded to the Jazz.

Utah acquired the former NBA MVP as part of a three-team deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves.

B/R's Chris Haynes noted before the trade was finalized that Westbrook being bought out was "the likely path" for the Jazz.

There has been some pushback to the Jazz buying out Westbrook's contract. Utah general manager Justin Zanik told reporters on Friday that while no decisions have been made, they are open to every possibility with the 34-year-old, and Westbrook has expressed a willingness to play for them.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t RealGM.com), there would be "significant interest" around the NBA if Westbrook becomes a free agent. He also called the Chicago Bulls a frontrunner if that were to happen.

The Bulls are another team that needs a point guard given the uncertainty around Lonzo Ball's recovery from offseason knee surgery.

Both the Bulls and Clippers have connections to Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder that could appeal to him. Chicago head coach Billy Donovan was his head coach for four seasons from 2015 to '19.

George played with Westbrook in Oklahoma City for two seasons from 2017 to '19. The Clippers have been trying to find a point guard since last offseason when they signed John Wall as a free agent.

Wall was traded to the Houston Rockets on Thursday in a three-team deal that brought Eric Gordon to Los Angeles. The Clippers' current point guard rotation consists of Bones Hyland and Jason Preston.

Westbrook was used primarily off the bench with the Lakers this season. He averaged 15.9 points, 7.5 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game in 52 appearances.

The Clippers are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference with a 31-28 record.