Los Angeles Clippers small forward Paul George has been named the New York Knicks’ “ambitious” trade target by an NBA writer.
Dan Favale of Bleacher Report believes the Knicks should try to trade for George this summer.
“New York still needs to be in the star-hunting game,” Favale wrote. “Paul George would be ideal. His outside shooting is equal parts high volume (almost nine attempts per 36 minutes since 2018-19), super efficient (38.8 percent) and scales to many forms. He can generate his own triples but has experience playing off more ball-dominant teammates. Durability is an issue here. George is 33 and hasn’t missed fewer than 18 games since 2018-19. But he’s not dealing with chronic injuries, and his game will age well. It has aged well.
“The Knicks, more than most teams, needn’t fear George’s 2024 player option, either. It might benefit them. He may end up signing a longer-term deal at lower average annual value than the $48.8 million he’s owed in 2024-25.”
George is one of the best players in the NBA. The eight-time All-Star averaged 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Clippers this season while shooting 45.7% from the field, 37.1% from beyond the arc, and 87.1% from the free-throw line.
“Successfully pulling George off the L.A. Clippers is the tougher dilemma,” Favale wrote. “They’re not on the precipice of rebuilding. A package built around some combo of Immanuel Quickley, R.J. Barrett, Obi Toppin and a caps-lock DRAFT HAUL won’t wow them. But three-team trades exist for a reason, and the sheer breadth of assets the Knicks can unload will start conversations that otherwise wouldn’t take place.”
George signed a four-year, $176 million maximum contract extension with the Clippers in December 2020. The six-time All-NBA forward will make $45.6 million next season. He has a player option worth $48.8 million for the 2024-25 season.
The Knicks could start Jalen Brunson, Quentin Grimes, George, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson if New York president Leon Rose found a way to acquire PG-13.
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