One NBA writer believes the Golden State Warriors should put Los Angeles Clippers small forward Paul George “atop its most fanciful trade-acquisition list.”
In a May 20 story called “1 Ambitious Trade Target for Every NBA Team,” Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report proposed that the Warriors trade Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and multiple draft picks to the Clippers for George.
“The eight-time All-Star is also an elite defender who’d supercharge Golden State’s stopping power alongside Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins,” Hughes wrote. “Better still, George has years of proof that he can run an offense as a first option or deferential distributor, roles in which Poole and every other Warrior failed last season.
“Maybe the Clippers would laugh at the idea of trading George for a trio of youngsters, even if some executives believe his value isn’t actually all that high due to missed time, and maybe they’d insist on Wiggins being involved. Perhaps the Warriors wouldn’t even place a call on a potential deal that shoved them even further into the tax. But these are ambitious targets, and George fills basically every need this past season exposed.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers & Golden State Warriors Updates
The Warriors lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals in six games. The Clippers, meanwhile, lost to the Phoenix Suns in the first round. George didn’t play in the series due to a knee injury he suffered in March versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.
PG-13 averaged 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Clippers this season while shooting 45.7% from the field and 37.1% from beyond the arc. The 33-year-old signed a four-year, $176 million maximum contract extension with Los Angeles in December 2020.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers & Golden State Warriors Updates
George and two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard are two of the best players in the NBA. However, the Clippers have yet to reach the NBA Finals since acquiring the two stars in the summer of 2019.
The Warriors, who are still in title mode since Stephen Curry remains an elite player, would undoubtedly be one of the scariest teams to defend if they traded for George, who has career averages of 20.6 points with the Indiana Pacers, Thunder, and Clippers.
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