Paul George Declines to Answer Question About Clippers Contract Talks amid NBA Rumors
Prior to Game 1 of the Los Angeles Clippers' first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, Clippers star forward Paul George declined to answer a question Saturday regarding his future with the team.
George, who can become a free agent this coming offseason if he declines his player option, told reporters, "That's not where my mind is at right now," when asked about the status of his contract negotiations with the Clips.
Per Clippers reporter Justin Russo, George then ignored a question about whether his talks were being tabled until the end of the Clippers' season, saying, "Thank you, guys," before leaving the press conference.
George, who will turn 34 on May 2, has spent the past five seasons with the Clippers since getting traded to L.A. from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
While productive when healthy, durability was a huge issue for George in his first four seasons with the Clips, as he failed to appear in more than 56 games in a single season.
PG-13 was far healthier in 2023-24, though, playing in 74 games, which was his most since the 2018-19 season. George also continued to put up strong numbers, averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.3 three-pointers made and 1.5 steals per contest en route to his ninth career All-Star selection.
With both George and Kawhi Leonard remaining far healthier than they were in previous years, plus the addition of James Harden, the Clippers went 51-31, which was their best record since the 2016-17 campaign.
That was good enough to secure the Clippers the fourth seed in the Western Conference, and a first-round playoff matchup with the fifth-seeded Mavs.
The Clippers still have yet to reach their first NBA Finals, although they played in the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 2021. However, Leonard was out injured for that series, and they fell to the Phoenix Suns with George serving as L.A.'s lone star.
This season marks perhaps the Clippers' best chance to go on a deep run and win a championship since they acquired George and Leonard, and it could potentially prove to be their last chance.
The Clippers are very much built to win now, and their championship window likely won't be open for much longer even if they are able to retain George.
If George walks in free agency, though, it is difficult to envision the Clippers being legitimate contenders again next season, especially since Harden is a free agent and could potentially leave as well.
