According to NBA reporter Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints, Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George is dealing with a meniscus injury in his left knee.
The Clippers said George has “left knee meniscus irritation.”
George is averaging 22.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.4 blocks this season in 52 games while shooting 45.6% from the field, 39.5% from beyond the arc and 90.5% from the free-throw line. He’s making $45.7 million.
The Clippers are 37-20. They are in fourth place in the Western Conference standings.
George can become an unrestricted free agent this offseason if he declines his 2024-25 player option worth $48.8 million. The Clippers signed Kawhi Leonard to a three-year, $149 million extension on January 10.
LAC is expected to sign George to an extension before free agency starts this summer.
A nine-time All-Star, George has career averages of 20.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.4 blocks with the Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Clippers. He’s one of the top players in NBA history.
According to NBA insider Howard Beck of The Ringer, the Clippers are expected to go all out to keep George and James Harden regardless of how they fare in the 2024 playoffs. Harden becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.
During an interview with NBA reporter Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, George said the Clippers‘ higher-ups asked him, Leonard and Russell Westbrook if they should trade for Harden. The Beard requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers and only wanted to get traded to the Clippers.
“Management came to the three of us, let us know what was going on and asked about it, and we all said ‘do it.’ We wanted it,” George said. “We thought James’ game would fit. Yeah, it was a little rough at first, but we settled into it, everyone sacrificing to make it fit. It just worked. … Everybody has sacrificed. It wasn’t something that had to be asked. We knew what we had to do.”
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