On Sunday evening, NBA free agency is slated to get underway, with the hottest name on the market being Los Angeles Clippers star wing Paul George, who declined his option with the team on Saturday and is now free to take his talents elsewhere. Some of the teams that have been mentioned as candidates to lure George away from the Clippers include the Philadelphia 76ers and the Orlando Magic, but evidently, there is also a sleeper team in the Western Conference that could be interested in acquiring the multi-time all-star.
” The Utah Jazz have all the cap space, veteran salaries and exorbitant draft capital to add the type of co-stars — such as Mikal Bridges, once upon a time, whom the team attempted to land this week, sources said, before New York splurged six years of first-round draft assets for the Villanova product — to round out a roster that already features All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen,” reported Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. “That appears to have been Utah’s dreamiest plot this summer, according to league figures with knowledge of the situation, trading for one or even two more bonafide pieces to then entice George to flee Los Angeles for Salt Lake City. That mirror to how George landed in Los Angeles back in 2019 — when the Clippers sent a bounty to OKC for his services, and thus signed Leonard in tow — is quite fascinating, although incredibly unlikely George makes it a reality.”
The Jazz are not necessarily viewed as a team ready to contend now, having missed out on the last two postseasons following their trade of Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2022 offseason, and it's unclear what other bonafide pieces Fischer referenced that they would be looking to bring in alongside George, much in the way the Clippers brought in both George and Leonard at the same time.
Where will Paul George end up?
Many speculate that the most likely destination for the Clippers star at this point is the 76ers, who have a ton of cap space this offseason to splurge on someone to bring in to give some support to both Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The 76ers failed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals once again this season, losing to the New York Knicks in five games in the first round of the playoffs, and George could certainly help fill a void on the roster that will be left when Tobias Harris almost assuredly leaves the team in free agency.
Another interesting name is the Magic, who technically made it deeper into the postseason this year than the 76ers did (albeit by one game) and also have a similar cap situation to where they would be able to pay Paul George what he wants. The Magic have a lot of enticing young talent and are already an elite defensive team, but are missing a perimeter shooting and scoring punch that George would provide.
In any case, even after free agency opens, it may be a while before George officially makes his decision.
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