After Friday night’s loss to the Utah Jazz in Game 6 of their first-round series, Paul George’s first season with the Oklahoma City Thunder is officially over.
Now the question with him immediately becomes, will it be his only one as he is a free agent and it is well known that the Los Angeles Lakers will be targeting him this summer. George’s season did not end on a high note as he scored just five points on 2-for-16 shooting and also committed six turnovers.
The pair of himself and Russell Westbrook never quite gelled as many had hoped it would, but that didn’t stop George from heaping praise on the reigning MVP. Following the elimination loss, George called Westbrook one of the best teammates he’s ever had, via Royce Young of ESPN:
Paul George on Russell Westbrook: "He's one of the best teammates I've had by far. I've learned a lot from him."
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 28, 2018
George will undoubtedly do his due diligence before making a decision in free agency, but one of the advantages the Thunder have is the presence of a true superstar in Westbrook.
The Lakers simply don’t have anyone close to his level as an MVP-caliber player, and George enjoying him as a teammate will play a big role in his final choice. George has been linked to the Lakers for a long time, but it is anyone’s guess as to what he will ultimately choose to do.
Following the game George said he would love to re-sign with the Thunder, but plenty can happen over the next couple of months.
All eyes will be on George this offseason as teams and fans anxiously await his choice in free agency. The Lakers are certainly hoping they can convince him to come back to Los Angeles, despite his affinity for his current teammate in Westbrook.
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