Paul George Trade Rumors: Blazers Were 'Not Eager' to Pair Star with Damian Lillard

While the Portland Trail Blazers have been seeking another star player to pair with point guard Damian Lillard, one veteran forward reportedly is not on their radar.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Blazers "were not eager to trade for" Los Angeles Clippers star forward Paul George despite reports that the Clippers were open to shipping him away this week.

Stein noted that George's "recent injury woes" plus his "ability to become a free agent after next season if he declines his $48.8 million player option" led to Portland's disinterest in pursuing him.

The 33-year-old was limited to 56 games this season, missing the last few weeks as well as the Clippers' first-round series against the Phoenix Suns with a knee injury. When healthy, he averaged 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists and earned his eighth career All-Star selection.

This was the fourth straight year George has played in under 60 games. Since he and Kawhi Leonard signed with Los Angeles in 2019, they have only appeared in 142 games together. NBA journalist Howard Beck said on Friday's episode of the FnA podcast with Kevin Figgers and Adam Auslund that the lack of production by George and Leonard has made George "certainly available" in trade talks.

"They're not trying to give him away, but they are trying to pivot, and they do have, I think, a franchise-wide frustration with the way that this era has gone," Beck said.

SNY's Ian Begley reported that the New York Knicks have expressed interest in George, but it won't be easy to pry him away from a Clippers team hoping to contend for a title next year.

Team president Lawrence Frank told reporters after Thursday's NBA draft that building around George and Leonard was "still the plan."