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All-Star forward Paul George surprised many by deciding to re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder on a four-year, $137 million deal spurning the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the wake of that decision, plenty of criticism tossed in George's direction that has locked him into a long-term deal that many had believed cost him millions. However, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN is reporting that the 28-year-old could restructure his deal following the second of the new contract that will allow him to extend it well past that total.
Here's essence of Paul George's 4-year, $137M deal, w/ player option: New CBA allows George to extend after 2nd anniversary of deal. Extending on max w/ OKC after year 2, while also opting out of final year, could make this 7-year, $290M-plus deal based on future cap projections.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2018
This gives a little more clarity as to why he made that decision that could net him a deal that locks him into a major deal that trumps the massive extension that reigning league MVP James Harden that will pay him $228 million that runs through the 2022-23 season. In fact, these details show that George was making a decision that will allow him to become the highest-paid player in league history.
On top of that, George will have the opportunity to play alongside All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook for the long haul in hopes of contending for an NBA title. The two had shown flashes of promise playing together, but things unraveled in the first-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz where both struggled to score with efficiency.
The Lakers were long believed to be on the table as a realistic option as the team had positioned themselves with two max contracts slots this summer that could have paired him alongside another superstar next season. There had been chatter that he could join LeBron James in Los Angeles, but he chose not to even meet with the Lakers in free agency before making his decision.
It is a huge personal win for the Thunder being able to retain one of the league's best two-way players that gives them a stronger foundation to build upon over the next several seasons.
