CLIPPERS PART WAYS WITH STAR PAUL GEORGE

Los Angeles basketball is about to look a lot different.

The Clippers announced Sunday that they are parting ways with star Paul George, the franchise’s all-time leading three-point scorer and a nine-time All-Star, after the two sides were “left far apart” on contract negotiations. The Clippers announced that George has informed the team he is planning to sign with another team. 

“We negotiated with Paul and his representative on a contract that would make sense for both sides, and we were left far apart,” the team said, according to ESPN. “The gag was significant. We understand and respect Paul’s decision to look elsewhere for his next contract.

Alongside Kawhi Leonard, George led the Clippers to unprecedented playoff success, including in 2021 when he helped take the team to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in team history. 

“His performances in Games 5 and 6 against Utah in 2021 won’t be forgotten by anyone associated with the Clippers,” the team said. “We traded a lot to pair Paul and Kawhi, and in exchange, we had five seasons of contention. Even though we fell short of our ultimate objective, we appreciate the chances we had with Paul.”

The Clippers are breaking in the brand new $2 billion Intuit Dome this season, and the team said in its statement Sunday that they are “excited by the opportunities we’ve not been afforded” with Paul moving on. 

“We will field a highly competitive team this season, and moving forward, use our organizational advantages to bring top talent to Intuit Dome,” the team said. 

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Philadelphia 76ers are the “leading suitors” to sign George. Charania also reported Sunday that the Clippers are working on possible deals to trade Russel Westbrook, the L.A. native and former UCLA star.

2024-07-01T01:14:44Z dg43tfdfdgfd