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The Oklahoma City Thunder started the 2018 summer of free agency with a bang, agreeing to terms on a lucrative, new four-year, $137 million deal with Paul George. The move surprised many, especially considering the fact that George, who was long rumored to want to join the Los Angeles Lakers this summer, didn't even give President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson a meeting once free agency began.
George arrived at a party hosted by Russell Westbrook as soon as free agency began July 1st, and together, the duo announced to Thunder fans that he would be staying in Oklahoma City long-term. So why did George not give Magic a meeting? Did he even want to join the Lakers? He spoke to members of the media at Team USA's minicamp about his decision for the first time since officially making it.
Via Sam Amick of USA TODAY Sports
“The reason why I didn’t (take a meeting) is that coming down to free agency and before it was about to open (on July 1), I felt really good where I was at,” George said. “I felt I was in a good place with Oklahoma. I wanted to come back to LA. That story was true. The narrative on that was true.”
In the end, however, George's heart and mind were set on Oklahoma City. In just one year, the players, the fans, the front office, and the entire city made the Palmdale native feel at home.
“That's where my heart was. But this year, being in Oklahoma, I felt really good about the situation, I felt really good going forward, and I didn’t want to waste nobody’s time and take a meeting. And now I’m straddling the fence, putting more stress and more pressure on the situation.
“I felt good about it. I felt great where we were at, so I decided to do it early, to get it over with, and start to build. I didn’t get that chance to last summer, because I got traded late in the summer. So I never got that chance to start fresh, to work to get better with Russ and work to get better with the Thunder. So I wanted to attack that early and get ready for my career.”
George averaged 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 3.1 three-pointers per game in his first season with the Thunder, but will look to improve his numbers, especially in the playoffs, now that his future in OKC is set in stone.
