Paul George is set to reach unrestricted free agency in less than two weeks, joining fellow All-Star forward LeBron James in a temporary period of uncertainty on the open market.
It’s no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers will be a suitor for George, who is said to have interest in joining the team. But whether George leaves the Oklahoma City Thunder is the question that remains unanswered, with a new report from USA Today suggesting that George is more likely to stay in Oklahoma City than most believe.
Remember when George was so hell-bent on joining the Lakers? Well, that was before he found his way out of Indiana and into an Oklahoma City situation that might suit him well after all.
Even with the Thunder coming just two losses away from missing the playoffs, and then falling to Utah in six games during their first-round matchup, there is all sorts of optimism in Oklahoma City that George will re-sign. Conversely, there’s pessimism in James’ camp that George would leave Oklahoma City. George has raved about the Thunder since the beginning, making it clear to USA TODAY Sports in September that the organization had earned his confidence from the start.
George, a five-time All-Star, averaged 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game with the Thunder this season. He’s expected to register free-agent interest from several teams this summer, including the Thunder, Rockets and 76ers.
