Paul George’s relationship with Clippers in 'positive place' despite contract dispute

Contract negotiations in professional sports often blur the lines between "business" and "personal," making it difficult to keep the two separate.

It's a natural balance that's hard to navigate regarding a player's money and often their perceived value to a franchise. Paul George and Klay Thompson are two of the biggest names in the NBA and are currently in pivotal contract disputes.

While all signs point to Thompson having played his last game with the Golden State Warriors, the situation with George and the Los Angeles Clippers is intriguing. And it appears George handles the business vs. personal aspect of contract talks just fine.

The 34-year-old is seeking a four-year, max contract, but the Clippers had hoped he'd accept a deal similar to teammate Kawhi Leonard, who signed a three-year, $153 million extension in January.

George continues to target a max deal, but as The Athletic's Sam Amick and Anthony Slater detailed, the Clippers have "decided to hold firm" in negotiations with George to attempt to escape the second-apron luxury tax. But with free agency set to begin on June 30 and the nine-time NBA All-Star holding a $48.7 million player option for next year, 

While one side will either need to blink or George may choose to leave Los Angeles, The Athletic reports that his relationship with the franchise remains in good standing amid the contract dispute.

"George is widely known to love living with his family in Los Angeles, where he’s not far from his hometown of Palmdale, Calif.," wrote Amick and Slater. "What’s more, his relationship with the Clippers — even with the contract disagreement — is known to be in a very respectful and positive place."

George prefers to remain with the Clippers and stay near his family, but we should find out how this stand-off will pan out in the coming days. 

The nine-time All-Star is bound to have plenty of suitors if he heads to free agency, and the same holds if the two sides agree that a trade is the best route to take. However, the real win-win could be for the two sides to find some middle ground and hammer out a deal that satisfies the player and the franchise — if that scenario exists.