Paul George: Thunder Winning Championship Won't Impact FA Decision
Sorry, Russ. Looks like you are going to need a new free agency pitch to keep Paul George in Oklahoma City.
Back in January, Russell Westbrook was asked how he was going to recruit George to stay in OKC. His answer? "Sales pitch gonna be when we win a championship. Beat that pitch."
Well, on Friday, George made it clear, via ESPN's Royce Young, that the results of this season aren't going to be the deciding factor in his free agency decision:
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With three games to play, Oklahoma City (45-34) is in sixth place in the Western Conference. However, the team is not a lock to make the postseason, as it sits just one game above the ninth-seeded Denver Nuggets.
And while the PG13-to-LA rumors continue to swirl, the five-time All-Star mentioned the possibility of recruiting others to OKC:
In his first season with the Thunder, George has seen a slight drop-off in numbers. His scoring (21.6 points per game), shooting percentage (42.8 percent), free-throw percentage (82) and rebounds (5.7) are all down this season. His three-point percentage (39.7) is, however, the second-highest of his career.
Entering the season, the star-studded Thunder were expected to be among the Golden State Warriors' biggest competition in the West after adding George and Carmelo Anthony last offseason. It has been far from a smooth transition, although the team has put up three separate winning streaks spanning at least six games.
George noted it wasn't "championship or bust" for his squad. Of course, if the team wins it all, it's tough to justify leaving the defending champs. On the other hand, if they lose, Oklahoma City fans will hope that the 6'9", 220-pound star will stay to take care of unfinished business, as not even the LeBron James-led Miami Heat won a ring in their first season together.
All the Thunder can do is play the games and let the rest play itself out. No matter what happens the rest of the season, the franchise has about three months to keep another star from leaving town.
