Paul George
Far and above the biggest name to decide his destination on Sunday morning was Oklahoma City Thunder star Paul George. Much to the shock of many people, he opted to remain in OKC to keep his apparent friendship with Russell Westbrook intact.
It was merely a year ago that George claimed that his intention was to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers the second he hit free agency, thus the Indiana Pacers traded him away. Seeing the Thunder manage to convince him to stay has to sting Indy somewhat, but at least they got a rising star in Victor Oladipo out of the deal. This decision is a testament to the culture that the Thunder have established as well as the savviness of their front office.
But after faltering against the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs, OKC clearly still has a lot to figure out. Regardless, George is apparently in for the long haul, as he shockingly agreed to a four-year, $137 million max deal. It should be noted, however, that it includes a player option which will increase George’s flexibility near the end of the contract.
George was never a feasible Jazz target. As much as we wanted to believe that Donovan Mitchell could figure out a way to woo him to Salt Lake City, I think we all knew that was a pipe dream at best. Still, now that his return to OKC is official, you can completely count out the long-shot possibility of him joining the Utah Jazz.
Paul George has agreed to a four-year, $137M max contract with the Thunder, league source tells ESPN. Deal includes a player option.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2018