Paul George breaks silence on impending trade to Warriors

Paul George could have been with the Golden State Warriors. The nine-time NBA All-Star believed he was on the verge of being sent to the Dubs based on the information he had while his fate was still uncertain during the offseason.

“It was a real deal that was about to be done. That deal was about to be done from what I’m told of the situation.

“They were expressing how much they wanted me there, how I would have fit in perfectly with Draymond (Green), Steph (Curry),” George said of the Warriors’ failed attempt to bring him to Golden State, George said on Monday’s edition of The P Podcast with Paul George.

Trading a player like George was always going to be a tricky task for the Clippers and any team looking to make a move for the 34-year-old forward.

“Klay (Thompson) probably would have stayed. (Brandin) Podziemski, (Jonathan) Kuminga, (Andrew) Wiggins. They didn’t know how or what package they were going to get to trade me… (Kevon) Looney was going to be there, so it was very intriguing, and it was always an opportunity to stay close to home, stay on the West Coast, and it was a win-win,” George added.

In the end, it was the Philadelphia 76ers who won the Paul George sweepstakes. George decided not to exercise his $48.79 million player option for the 2024-25 NBA season with the Clippers and agreed to a $211.58 million contract with the 76ers.

Paul George to Warriors is now a big ‘what if’

While George seems happy to have a new home with the 76ers, he doesn’t hide his regrets about missing out on the opportunity to play with Stephen Curry and the rest of the Warriors.

“I think Steph is a unicorn, a unique player, and Joel is a unicorn… So it was a good situation to be in, but ultimately the deal didn’t happen. I think the Clippers didn’t want a particular trade deal that the Warriors were willing to accept, and yeah, it didn’t happen, but it was close. It was awesome, man. I was looking forward to it if it happened.”

George would have been a tremendous addition to the Warriors if things had gone well between them and the Clippers. At this point, he’s mostly seen as a better player (both ways) than Klay Thompson, who left the Warriors for Texas where he’ll play with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

In other words, George could have been the big upgrade over Thompson for the Warriors, who missed the 2023-24 NBA playoffs with a 46-36 record.

The window for another NBA title with Curry leading their offense is closing for the Warriors, so it becomes paramount for them to find the two-time NBA MVP the best help possible.

As for George, he and the Sixers should be serious contenders for the NBA title. With Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey plus George, Philadelphia has the trio needed to create plenty of problems for opposing teams.

In what turned out to be his final campaign with the Clippers, George, who will enter his 15th season in the league, averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from downtown.