The Los Angeles Clippers were widely expected to be contenders after the summer of 2019 when they acquired Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. However, the team has not been able to get to the Finals during the stars’ tenure, though they have managed to get to one Western Conference Finals.
It seems as though the relative lack of success has caused the Los Angeles Clippers to explore other options. In fact, a recent report from NBA insider Marc Stein revealed that the Clippers have already started exploring Paul George’s trade value.
“League sources tell The Stein Line that the LA Clippers have left various rival teams with the impression through their Draft Week conversations that they are, at a minimum, 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.”
Later on in his report, Marc Stein revealed two potential trade destinations for George: the Houston Rockets and the Portland Trail Blazers.
“Lillard’s Trail Blazers at No. 3 in the draft and the star-searching Houston Rockets at No. 4, sources say, have been identified as potential trade partners if the Clippers decide that they indeed want to shake their roster up dramatically for the final season before the team moves to owner Steve Ballmer’s sparkly new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., for the 2024-25 campaign.”
There is no doubt that losing an All-NBA player like Paul George would be tough for the Los Angeles Clippers. However, it is also easy to see why the Clippers could explore a different direction, as what they’ve been doing has not worked out thus far.
This season, Paul George averaged 23.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 5.1 APG for the Los Angeles Clippers while shooting 37.1% from the 3PT range. There’s no doubt that he can be a difference-maker for whichever team that acquires him.
The Trail Blazers Would Consider A Paul George Trade For The No. 3 Pick
The Portland Trail Blazers have previously explored trades for the No. 3 pick to try and put an elite player next to Damian Lillard. In fact, it was previously reported that the team would be willing to accept Paul George for the No. 3 pick.
“For the Blazers, I do think George probably is the best singular player they could acquire if the goal is to open their contention window as wide as possible for the rest of Lillard’s career,” wrote Vecenie. “And I doubt that the Clippers would return any singular better asset in a trade than Henderson in a deal for George. I think they’d also probably be able to get a bit more draft capital, given the way the NBA works. But I would move George for Henderson straight up if Henderson was to get to No. 3.
We will see whether Paul George will end up on the Portland Trail Blazers. He would definitely be a good fit next to Damian Lillard, and they would definitely be a contender in the West.
