NBA Free Agency: Thunder General Manager Sam Presti ‘Encouraged’ By Talks With Paul George

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

NBA free agency this summer figures to center around LeBron James and Paul George, with DeMarcus Cousins sitting on the periphery of the conversation. The three are the most-notable players who longer will be under contract come July 1.

Where James and George will land remain question marks fueled by endless speculation. The Los Angeles Lakers have been perceived as the favorite to sign George for the better part of a year.

He’s never denied a desire to return to Southern California, and last summer reportedly was motivated to end up with the Lakers one way or another. Some of that cooled when George was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but a first-round playoff exit ignited rumors.

As the Thunder face various reports that detail George’s believed intentions or wishes, general manager Sam Presti is pleased with talks the organization has had with the soon-to-be-free-agent, per Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman:

On the night the Thunder were eliminated by the Utah Jazz, George expressed a strong desire to re-sign with the team. He’s since praised the organization as a whole for meeting criteria that are important.

Some remain skeptical, however, in some part due to a perceived difficulty in playing alongside Russell Westbrook. Moreover, the Thunder would face a financial crunch in signing George to a max-contract in the event Carmelo Anthony exercises his $28 million player option for next season.

At minimum, the Lakers figure to at least secure a meeting with George to make their pitch. During an exit interview last month, president of basketball operations Magic Johnson voiced a confidence in being able to sign a free agent under such a setting.

One suggestion was George had all but made up his mind to move on from Oklahoma City.

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com
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