Paul George Rumors: Knicks 'Never Seriously Pursued' Trade for Clippers Star

Despite their apparent search for another star to add to their talented roster, the New York Knicks reportedly haven't made an aggressive push to trade for Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George.

According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, George's name has been brought up in conversations within the Knicks organization before, but "they never seriously pursued him in a deal."

Katz noted that the Knicks' plan has always been to go out and get another star by this offseason, but if no realistic trade target is available, they may wait until the 2025 NBA trade deadline instead.

During his 14-year NBA career with the Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Clippers, George has firmly established himself as one of the best two-way players in basketball.

In addition to being a nine-time All-Star, he is a four-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection, and he has twice received MVP votes, including a third-place finish in 2019.

For his career, PG-13 boasts averages of 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.6 three-pointers made and 1.7 steals per game, while shooting 44.0 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.

George has long been able to contribute in nearly every facet of the game, making him one of the NBA's most complete players.

Injuries have been his biggest issue in recent years, as he was limited to 48, 54, 31 and 56 games over the course of the 2019-20 through 2022-23 seasons.

However, George was largely able to stay healthy this season, starting 74 games and averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.3 trifectas and 1.5 steals per contest.

Katz noted that injury concerns may be among the reasons why the Knicks haven't gone after George, along with the fact that he is 34 years of age, which is significantly older than other core players on the team such as Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and OG Anunoby.

If the Knicks were to trade for George, it would perhaps mean parting ways with Anunoby, who is set to hit free agency this offseason if he declines his player option.

While George is the better and more accomplished player right now, Anunoby is still just 26, and he was productive for the Knicks this season when healthy, averaging 14.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.

Perhaps, most impressively, the Knicks were 20-3 during the regular season when Anunoby played.

George can become a free agent this offseason if he declines his player option, meaning the Knicks may have the choice between him or Anunoby.

It can be argued that George would perhaps be a better fit in terms of helping the Knicks win now alongside Brunson and Randle, but given his age and injury history, re-signing Anunoby may help keep the Knicks' championship window open for longer.