Paul George Says He Wants to Be a Champion; Divided on Lakers, Thunder
Paul George has a primary goal in mind entering free agency: finding a way to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Speaking to Dwyane Wade during the second part of the My Journey series for ESPN, which is chronicling his free-agent decision-making process, George disclosed he's putting winning first.
George told Wade in Los Angeles (h/t The Oklahoman's Brett Dawson):
"I want to be a champion. In a way, it's like, I want to come here, I want to play for the home team and put a Laker jersey on. That's always gonna be something that I want to fulfill. But at the same time, it's like, what's the best move, though? I know who I am as a player. I just want to help the team win. And I feel comfortable doing so with Russ [Westbrook]."
Cameras also captured a discussion George had regarding his contract options with agent Aaron Mintz. Among them: a four-year, $130 million deal with a team outside Oklahoma City, a five-year, $176 million deal with the Thunder or a three-year pact with OKC that features a player option in the third season.
"If you did a two-plus-one in Oklahoma City and you stayed in Oklahoma City, you're eligible for a five-year max in two years," Mintz said. "And you hit the market when you're 30 years old versus hitting it at 32."
According to ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski, George informed the Thunder on Thursday he will opt out of the final year of his deal and become an unrestricted free agent July 1.
