Knicks Shouldn't Pursue Clippers' Paul George amid Latest NBA Trade Rumors

With NBA free agency set to kick off on Friday, we've already seen a flurry of trade activity. The Bradley Beal/Chris Paul moves were agreed last week, and on Monday, the Atlanta Hawks agreed to send John Collins to the Utah Jazz, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The New York Knicks have yet to ride the early trade wave, but after topping 45 wins for the first time since the 2012-13 season, they could be eager to dive in.

Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers could be on their wish list.

According to SNY's Ian Begley, the Clippers and Knicks have had "contact" about a potential deal involving the 33-year-old:

As Begley pointed out, it's not entirely clear if Los Angeles is actually willing to move George, but the franchise is obviously interested in at least listening. That's not entirely surprising since the pairing of George and Kawhi Leonard hasn't exactly delivered the postseason success the Clippers were seeking.

Begley also reported that members of the Knicks organization believe that the eight-time All-Star could help boost the Knicks, who were ousted in the second round by the Miami Heat.

"There are certainly people in the organization who feel he is a tremendous addition to a team that won 47 games last season," he wrote. "The Knicks had contact with Los Angeles prior to the draft about a potential trade. It is unknown if the Clippers were willing to move George prior to the draft. Obviously, they were open to having conversations."

It's a feasible trade for the Knicks, since they have loads of future draft capital they could offer. New York should also have some flexibility in free agency, potentially with the mid-level exception and depending on which players it sends to L.A. in a salary match.

And from a fit standpoint, George would make sense for the Knicks. He's still a productive player—one who averaged 23.8 points and 5.1 assists last season—and has the sort of playoff experience that the roster largely lacks.

However, there are plenty of reasons why they shouldn't be in on George this offseason. The most obvious is the likely cost.

As Begley noted on The Putback, if the Clippers do move George, they'll be looking to acquire players who can help win a title now:

The question then becomes: What can New York offer that will move the needle in Los Angeles aside from draft picks? Some combination of RJ Barrett and/or Julius Randle might generate interest, but swapping one of them for George wouldn't necessarily make the Knicks title contenders.

This is especially true when George's injury history is considered. He's coming off a significant knee issue and hasn't played more than 56 games since the 2018-19 season. There's certainly no guarantee that a change of scenery would allow him to stay healthy.

If adding George isn't the home run move that would deliver a title next season—and it isn't—there's an added element of risk on top of his injury history. While he has two years left on his contract, he has a player option next year and could always depart for free agency.

Barring an extension upon his arrival, New York would be guaranteed only a one-year window with George, and that would be very concerning if the trade also strips the Knicks of immediately tradeable draft assets.

On top of everything, George is set to earn $45.6 million this season and $48.8 million on his player option. That's a hefty amount that would severely limit New York's flexibility, the aforementioned mid-level exception aside.

The Knicks currently have a solid foundation and several draft picks with which to build upon it—either by using them or dealing them.

Giving any of it up for a 33-year-old, oft-injured and expensive player who might not be more than a one-year rental is simply too big of a gamble for general manager Scott Perry and the Knicks to make.