The Paul George and Kawhi Leonard experiment on the Los Angeles Clippers may have run its course. The two superstars just can’t seem to get on the court at the same time, and it may be time for the Clippers to cut bait and try to get back what they can for one or both of them. A Paul George trade probably makes the most sense, as his health is better than Leonard’s at the moment. Here are the four best destinations for George if a Clippers trade does start to materialize.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are still alive in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, so a big move like this might not make sense if the team wins another title. However, if they do fall short, the franchise might want to shake things up a bit.
In this trade, the Warriors would take its three middling swingmen and turn them into one NBA star in Paul George. That means trading Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody, and Jonathan Kuminga to the Clippers for George.
This gives the Warriors one of the most fearsome starting fives in the league, with Stephen Curry, Clay Thompson, George, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney. For the Clippers, it gives them a player who can help them win now if they want in Wiggins and two young prospects who still have some upside in Moody and Kuminga.
This trade seems to work out for both sides and can reset the two franchises for more success going forward.
New York Knicks
The Knicks are another team still in the playoffs, but they may need to shake things up a bit as well once the season finally ends. New York is always looking for a big name, and George fits that bill.
The trade here sends Evan Fournier, Mitchell Robinson, Quentin Grimes, and Obi Toppin to the Clippers with George coming back.
In this Knicks-Clippers trade, the Knicks give up a player they want to get rid of anyways in Fournier as well as Robinson, Grimes, and Toppin, who are all at deep position groups on the Knicks roster.
On the LA side, they get a solid player in Grimes and with Toppin, a forward with some good upside who could become an excellent player if he could just get some more playing time. The Knicks will likely find out this season that they are a player away from truly being contenders, and a Paul George trade could finally give them that player to get them over the top when added to what they already have.
Portland Trail Blazers
This Paul George trade wouldn’t happen until after the NBA Draft Lottery, because if the Blazers hit it big and win the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, their team-building mentality will take a major shift.
As it stands now, though, the team needs to bring in a running mate for Damian Lillard to help him win games. When George is healthy, he is one of the best two-way guard/forwards in the game and could help the team offensively and defensively.
Here, the Clippers would receive Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurcic, and a future first-round pick. The Clippers’ draft capital coffers are pretty bare after the original Paul George trade, so getting picks back in the door would be ideal. And if that pick is relatively far out there, it could be a post-George and Lillard pick that has a chance to be high.
Even if the Blazers do get Wembanyama, pairing him with George and Lillard could create an immediate contender and start their new superstar’s career off in a way that makes him happy and keeps him in the Pacific Northwest for a long time.
Atlanta Hawks
Trae Young's heroics aside, it now seems clear that the Hawks aren’t going anywhere near an NBA Finals as currently constituted. The team has reached its ceiling and now needs to make some moves.
The team could look into trading young, but John Collins has been on the block for a long time, and it may be at the point where they need to lower their expectations for a return. However, they still need to get him off the books for the franchise to have a chance to improve.
A John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, and Saddiq Bey package in a Clippers trade for Paul George could be the best haul that LA could get for their star. All three players have upside in the right situation, and leaving Atlanta could be just the move they need to unlock that potential.
It’s a steep price for the Hawks to pay for a 33-year-old player who has dealt with injuries throughout his career. Still, it could give Young the type of help he needs and allow him one more chance to prove he can carry a franchise before the team tears it down.
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