Paul George Trade Rumors: Warriors Willing to Give Clippers Star 4-Year Max Contract

The Golden State Warriors are reportedly willing to offer Paul George a four-year max contract in free agency.

"To this point, the Clippers have only been willing to offer Paul George about what they gave Kawhi Leonard," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Wednesday on Get Up (h/t RealGM). "Three years at a little bit less than the max contract, and Paul George, frankly, wants four years. He wants a full out max and there are a number of teams out there, I am told, that are prepared to give it to him, who are prepared to trade for him. One of those teams, potentially, is up the coast in Golden State."

George is limited to a four-year max contract—both with the Clippers and any other team—due to the NBA's age-38 rule. The Warriors would have to reach a sign-and-trade agreement with the Clippers in order to realistically land George.

Golden State's salary-cap situation is complicated, which makes its pursuit of George closer to a Hail Mary than a reality. Warriors owner Joe Lacob has expressed an interest to duck under the luxury tax, which would require waiving Chris Paul or allowing Klay Thompson to walk in free agency.

The former appears far more likely given the Warriors' very public stance on wanting to keep Thompson. If the Warriors make a move for George, they would most likely have to guarantee Paul's contract and include him as part of a trade, ending Thompson's time in Golden State.

Golden State cannot complete any sign-and-trade agreement if it's above the first tax apron. The new CBA's highly restrictive rules for teams above the apron make any type of trade seem unlikely.

Barring some other unlikely cost-cutting moves, such as potentially trading Draymond Green, adding George and re-signing Thompson is a virtual impossibility.