DALLAS — After shedding within the first spherical with Kawhi Leonard injured for the second straight postseason, the LA Clippers head into the offseason with uncertainty surrounding the futures of Paul George and James Harden.
George has a participant choice for subsequent season price $48.8 million and might grow to be a free agent if he and the Clippers are unable to agree on an extension previous to June 30. Harden will probably be an unrestricted free agent and will wait to see what occurs with George first earlier than determining his future with the Clippers.
Following the Clippers’ 114-101 loss in Recreation 6 at Dallas, George was requested if he sees himself with the Clippers long run alongside Leonard and Harden.
“Yeah,” George mentioned. “If it really works that means, completely.”
After the Clippers’ season got here to an finish, George and Harden mentioned they have not actually considered their contracts but.
“I do not even know,” mentioned Harden, who completed with 16 factors, 13 assists and seven rebounds however missed all six of his 3-point makes an attempt on Friday. “You might be asking loads of questions that I haven’t got the reply to or have not even considered.”
The Clippers have a busy offseason forward of them so far as making an attempt to maintain this workforce intact. The franchise is planning to pursue a contract extension with Ty Lue to keep away from having the pinnacle coach enter the ultimate 12 months of his deal in 2025-26, sources advised ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday.
After which there’s George and Harden. Leonard signed a three-year, $153-million extension in January. With the Clippers prone to exceed $200 million in payroll subsequent season, they are going to be restricted in how they will enhance the workforce as a result of second apron.
Ought to George grow to be a free agent, there may very well be a number of suitors for the 34-year-old.
George performed 74 regular-season video games this season, essentially the most he is performed by far in his 5 seasons with the Clippers. The All-Star averaged 22.6 factors, 5.2 rebounds and a career-high 41.3% from 3.
After buying and selling for Harden in late October, the Clippers ultimately took off and went on a 26-5 tear in the course of the season to succeed in the highest of the Western Convention standings in early February.
However the workforce sputtered after that as a consequence of accidents and inconsistency. Leonard missed the ultimate eight video games of the common season and Recreation 1 of the primary spherical with irritation in his surgically-repaired proper knee. He performed in Video games 2 and three earlier than the workforce held him out after he did not appear to be his regular self in Recreation 3.
George, who completed with 18 factors and 11 rebounds however shot 2-for-10 from 3-point vary in Recreation 6, mentioned he’ll discuss his future along with his household and family members quickly.
“I am not even targeted on that but,” George mentioned of his future. “I obtained so much to form of digest myself, so I have not even obtained to that but. Sit up for form of going again, simply letting every little thing form of decompress, discuss to my household, be round household help after which tackle the subsequent step… Yeah, it is simply not the place I am there. I am not there but.”
ESPN’s Bobby Marks contributed to this story.