Paul George: 'I'm Loyal to' Kawhi Leonard, Wanted to Sign Long-Term Clippers Contract

As Paul George continues to get back into the swing of things now that he is with the Philadelphia 76ers, his original intention after last season wasn't to leave the Los Angeles Clippers because of his affinity for Kawhi Leonard.

Speaking to Melissa Rohlin of Fox Sports, George said he was "loyal" to Leonard for his role in originally getting him to join the Clippers.

"I had it in my mind this whole time—Kawhi brought me here, Kawhi was the guy who wanted me to play here, I'm stuck, I'm glued to him," George said. "That was my mindset. That was my mentality. I wanted to ride this thing out."

When Leonard was a free agent in the summer of 2019, he took on the task of trying to bring a another All-Star player with him to Los Angeles.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne noted at the time that before Kevin Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets, Leonard called him to gauge his interest in playing for the Clippers. When that didn't work, the two-time NBA Finals MVP pivoted to George even though he was under contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder acquiesced to George's trade request in a deal that, with the benefit of hindsight, looks like one of the best moves in NBA history for Oklahoma City.

The Clippers did make an attempt to keep George, but they weren't going to budge off their offer that was similar to the three-year, $153 million extension Leonard signed in January.

ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk reported in July that the Clippers made George a three-year, $150 million offer, but they had "no interest" in adding a no-trade clause or giving him a fourth year for an additional $57 million that would have taken him through his age-37 season.

The 76ers were willing to give George the offer he wanted and signed a four-year, $211.6 million with the hope he can be a missing piece in their quest for an NBA championship.

Those five years of Clippers basketball from 2019 to '24 when they had Leonard and George will always be remembered for what could have been if both players had been able to stay healthy for a full season.

It's hard to fault the Clippers for taking a hardline stance with George given his age and how much they were spending in luxury tax, but once they decided to keep Leonard, their approach with George made less sense.

George averaged 23.0 points on 45.5 percent shooting, 6.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in 263 starts with the Clippers over five seasons. He led the team to their first—and to date, only—Western Conference Finals appearance in 2021.