The tandem of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George could be coming to an end this offseason. The Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly fielding offers for George as the teams looks to retool amid the disappointing returns they've gotten from forming this dynamic duo. While PG and Kawhi play well together, the pair cannot manage to stay healthy long enough to realize the team's full potential.
As a result, George finds himself the odd man out as the Clippers will likely look to build exclusively around Kawhi. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Los Angeles is "attempting to gauge Paul George's trade value and, to hear some describe it, giving real consideration to the idea of disassembling the Kawhi Leonard/George tandem."
Stein pointed out that the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers are two teams interested in PG if he becomes available. What's more, the Blazers and Rockets hold the No. 3 and No. 4 picks in this week's NBA Draft, respectively, which could be used to pull off a blockbuster trade. "Complicating matters further: Both Leonard and George are soon eligible for four-year contract extensions worth in excess of $200 million," Stein wrote. "Both players can become free agents next summer if they decline their respective player options for the 2024-25 season."
Acquiring George could be Portland's last ditch effort to keep Damian LIllard in town by pairing him with PG (whom he knocked out of the playoffs with one of the most devastating and iconic walk-off 3-pointers in playoff history) or Houston as they attempt to cobble together a competitive team by resigning James Harden and trading for Paul George.
