The Los Angeles Clippers made a big move this offseason when they signed Paul George to a five-year contract extension worth $226 million. The timing was a surprise for this deal to take place. It would be even more surprising to see the Clippers trade George to Golden State following the extension.
The Clippers failed to make the Western Conference Finals in their first season with the duo of George and Kawhi Leonard. They were eliminated in the Western Conference Semi-Finals by the Denver Nuggets. This was not the way they wanted their first season to end up clearly feel committed to the team they have built. There is a chance they could want to get back some draft capital they lost in the George trade.
This is what they would get from the Golden State Warriors. They lost Klay Thompson on draft night to a torn Achilles. On the night they drafted James Wiseman, they found out that Thompson will miss the upcoming season with another injury. This was a huge blow to the roster but the Warriors are still expected to be near the top of the Western Conference.
It’s important for the Warriors to be prepared to have to operate without Thompson in the lineup for a while. After suffering a season-ending injury following a prior season-ending injury, it’s difficult to bank on consistent on-court availability long-term.
This would be a trade that sends shockwaves through the NBA, especially after Paul George’s extension. Here is what it might look like if George was sent to the Golden State Warriors.
