The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to Oklahoma City Thunder star Paul George for what seems like forever now and those rumors just don’t seem to be ending anytime soon. The Lakers have huge plans on bringing in at least marquee player in free agency this summer and George, an L.A. native, makes the most sense.
George complimented the young Lakers after a recent game and had plenty of good things to say about Lonzo Ball. However, George also made it clear that he doesn’t have to win a championship in Oklahoma City this season to remain with them.
That still isn’t a guarantee, of course, and some believe the Thunder should consider trading him at the trade deadline so they don’t wind up losing George for nothing as they did with Kevin Durant. But according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, that won’t be happening:
For now, the Thunder are fully committed to playing out the season with impending free agent Paul George. They still have hope that a strong run in the playoffs could convince him to re-sign in Oklahoma City.
Wojnarowski also added that the Lakers are likely still the favorite to land George this summer:
Nevertheless, the Lakers were the team to beat when the Thunder made the trade, and that probably hasn’t changed — although Oklahoma City has made a favorable impression on George and ultimately hopes to turn George with a deep playoff run. George has remained open-minded on a Thunder future, but there’s a long way to go.
The Thunder have definitely looked better of late and are now fifth in the Western Conference. If they make a run to the Conference Finals and prove to be very close to a championship, it would be tough for him to leave.
Nonetheless the Lakers will be doing everything in their power to convince George that this young group is best for his future when the time comes.
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