Once again, this is a friendly reminder that the NBA dominates the summer. Aside from the Boston Celtics recently claiming their 18th championship in team history and the NBA conducting their questionable two-day draft format, the league's attention now turns to free agency, which is also known as Christmas in July for all of you out there who observe this NBA holiday. Teams are not allowed to begin negotiating with upcoming free agents, who are not a part of their organization, until June 30 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time. Then again, Paul George, Klay Thompson, and the Golden State Warriors have already set off the fireworks with no moves being made.
All season, the talk surrounding the Warriors has been centered around Thompson. Next to Stephen Curry, the five-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion may just be the most important player this franchise has ever had. One day, there will be a statue of Thompson outside of Chase Center in San Francisco, and his No. 11 jersey will hang in the rafters next to Curry's No. 30 when the two future Hall of Famers retire.
However, the Splash Brothers won't be able to retire together, as Thompson is on his way out the door. The Warriors and Thompson never engaged in serious conversations during the early negotiation window before free agency, league sources told ClutchPoints, leading the star shooting guard down a different path than the team he has called home for 13 years. No matter what, Thompson will always be regarded as a Bay Area legend for being an integral part of the four championship banners the Warriors raised. Without him, Golden State may not have won any of their four titles since 2015, and the Warriors never would have been the dynasty everyone knows them to be now.
All good things come to an end eventually, and Thompson's time with the Warriors has concluded. Of course, that is unless the unthinkable happens and the two sides suddenly have a change of heart, like in one of those quirky rom-coms where the girl leaves the altar and her fiancé to pursue her one true love.
The Warriors have slowly been preparing themselves for Thompson's departure, dating back to the middle of the season when he was moved to a bench role, sources said. Thompson did not handle this situation well, as he took this rotational change as an insult and demotion. After everything he had been through with the organization, the star shooting guard felt like he was solely being targeted for the Warriors' mishaps, despite there being a multitude of reasons for their decline during the 2023-24 season.
As the offseason began and the Warriors' front office scrambled to come up with a plan, one key star, who was also facing a ton of uncertainty ahead of free agency, became the top target for the organization. About 380 miles down I-5 south, Paul George became the Warriors' top priority in trade conversations with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Paul George's decision impacts Warriors
Like Thompson, George's contract situation with the Los Angeles Clippers stalled out in the middle of the 2023-24 season. Once Kawhi Leonard signed his three-year contract extension worth around $150 million with the team, it was assumed around the league that George would get the same deal in a matter of days. Well, days became weeks, and those weeks then became months. With George owning a $48.7 million player option for the 2024-25 season, the talk from Los Angeles quickly shifted from the Clippers being able to re-sign George to the nine-time All-Star strongly weighing other options and suitors.
George was faced with a decision to make on Saturday as to whether he would opt in or out of his contract with the Clippers. If he opted, there was a really strong sense that he was going to be traded, sources said, due to LA's unwillingness to offer him a contract he believes he deserves. As ClutchPoints' Tomer Azarly reported, George never received an offer that exceeded Kawhi's deal. In fact, the Clippers' offer to George on a new contract always came in below Leonard's deal. This dissatisfaction with the franchise led George to become the talk of trade rumors leading up to free agency.
The Warriors, with Thompson's situation growing even more clouded ahead of free agency, made George their priority and sought to get a deal done with the Clippers ahead of Saturday, sources said. Not only were the Warriors truly interested in giving the star forward a new long-term contract that he wanted near the end of his career, but George himself appeared to be intrigued by the idea of teaming up with Curry and Draymond Green.
After all, the championship success other forwards like Kevin Durant and Andrew Wiggins have had with the Warriors stands out.
Warriors, Clippers trade discussions
Despite a decision still having to be made on his $48.7 million player option, the Clippers began seriously discussing the framework of a trade with the Warriors that would have sent the All-Star to San Francisco, sources said. These conversations, not entirely in one specific trade scenario, included the likes of Chris Paul, Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, and Moses Moody in a variety of layouts. Jonathan Kuminga, whom the Clippers attempted to bring into said dialogue, was not a player the Warriors intended on moving, sources said.
While Golden State truly believed there was a legitimate path to landing Paul in a trade before free agency, the Clippers were not too keen on the idea unless they were to receive substantial value for who they believe is still one of the best players in the league. As a result, trade talks dissipated, and George opted out of his contract to hit the open market. Even with trade discussions being had, there are still some in Los Angeles who believe George returning to the Clippers is a possibility. Around the league, that belief is not necessarily shared.
The Philadelphia 76ers have long been a rumored landing spot for George. The interest both Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey have in playing alongside George has not changed, sources said. Daryl Morey and the Sixers' front office want to bring in players who present a clear championship path against the Celtics this offseason. Going after George and giving him a max deal may just be the only immediate path to contending at the highest level possible. Philadelphia is prepared to entice George with a max-level offer.
Another team with max-level cap space this offseason that has also held strong ties to George leading up to free agency is the Orlando Magic. Led by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, the Magic proved to be threats in the Eastern Conference this past season when they pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in the first round of the playoffs. Although they came up short, the Magic are a team on the rise that simply needs another star next to Banchero and Wagner. In Orlando, George would be able to regain his mantle as the leader of a franchise, a title he truly hasn't held since the best years of his career with the Indiana Pacers.
George plans to meet with the Clippers, 76ers, and Magic once free agency begins on Sunday evening, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. It is possible that a team like the Utah Jazz could show interest in pursuing George this summer, given their desire to land another star next to Lauri Markkanen, but there are no indications to suggest there is mutual interest.
A sign-and-trade remains on the table for George. This scenario presents many paths since there are a ton of eyebrow-raising scenarios that could form in potential sign-and-trade formulations. Still, the obstacle of the team potentially acquiring George being hard capped at the $178.7 million first tax apron for the 2024-25 season looms large.
The Warriors, who are now out of the running for George, are left with almost no immediate backup plan. Thompson appears to be leaving, and the front office will now need to make a decision on Chris Paul's $30 million non-guaranteed contract. After pushing his contract decision deadline back to Sunday ahead of free agency, Golden State has yet to find a viable trade partner around the league that would bring immediate and long-term value like George's imaginative arrival would have.
At this point, it appears very likely that Paul will be wearing a new uniform when the 2024-25 season begins. Whether the Warriors can once again come to terms with some sort of partial guarantee on his contract to try and facilitate another trade or waive him altogether is yet to be seen. There truly isn't one consensus answer for what they will do regarding Paul either, as many around the league believe the organization was convinced a deal was going to be made with the Clippers involving George. Now, the Dubs enter free agency with no strong plans in place to immediately improve their roster and add another solidified star.
Other notes and intel from around the NBA before free agency
Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cleveland Cavaliers haven't given teams any indications that they are preparing to move on from Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen this offseason. Kenny Atkinson took the Cavs jobs recently, and the belief around the league is that he did so with the intention of coaching both Allen and Garland. Of course, Atkinson coached Allen when they were both with the Brooklyn Nets. Other news in Cleveland circulates around Donovan Mitchell, who will be getting a lucrative long-term extension offer from the Cavs, sources said. As reported here on ClutchPoints in January, Mitchell remains happy in Cleveland and has given the Cavs no reason to believe that he is wanting to leave anytime soon.
Denver Nuggets: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is expected to depart the Denver Nuggets in free agency due to other teams having the ability to offer him more than $20 million in his first season, sources said. The Magic are expected to be at the forefront of conversations tied to Caldwell-Pope when free agency begins, especially after Joe Ingles had his $11 million team option declined on Saturday, opening up more immediate funds for the Magic to spend on a large contract. Orlando is also showing interest in Paul George.
Golden State Warriors: The Dallas Mavericks have strong interest in Klay Thompson, league sources confirmed to ClutchPoints early Sunday morning. NBA insider Marc Stein has been at the forefront of the reporting regarding Thompson and the Mavs having mutual interest. The only real way the Mavericks could land Thompson is in a sign-and-trade, which some within the Warriors organization wouldn't be too keen on since Dallas is one of their main competitors. Stein does say that, ultimately, the Dubs would be “amenable” to sign-and-trade talks.
The logistics of Klay going to the Mavs are hard to figure out, but Dallas is very interested. The Los Angeles Lakers, 76ers, and, surprisingly, the Nuggets all have a level of interest in Thompson as well, sources said.
Los Angeles Clippers: Should Paul George leave the Clippers in free agency, DeMar DeRozan will emerge as a clear target for the Clippers, sources told ClutchPoints. This was a scenario HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported about at the end of May. DeRozan, whom the Chicago Bulls would like to retain this offseason, is said to be giving serious thought to his future in Chicago. While there were discussions about a possible extension for DeRozan during the season, the Bulls and their All-Star never came close to a deal. Now, they run the risk of losing DeRozan as the best unrestricted free agent next to George on the open market.
New Orleans Pelicans: With trade chatter surrounding George settling down after he opted out of his contract, as well as Dejounte Murray being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, Brandon Ingram now becomes the focal point of discussions. Ingram is entering the final year of his contract and has been made available for trade. At 26 years old, there is still a lot to like about Ingram's game and ability to be a primary scoring option. However, very few teams have shown legitimate interest at this time in the Pelicans forward.
That is likely to change once free agency begins to take shape. The Jazz will likely internally discuss the possibility of pursuing Ingram this offseason, as will the 76ers if they are unable to land George. Two teams viewed as possible dark-horse destinations for Ingram are the Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors, sources said. Could the Warriors possibly emerge as another dark-horse suitor for Ingram in the immediate aftermath of their failed trade talks for George?
Portland Trail Blazers: Donovan Clingan's arrival to the Portland Trail Blazers has suddenly cast the spotlight on Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III. Ayton, the former first overall pick in 2018, is entering the third season of a four-year, $133 million deal he signed with the Phoenix Suns in 2022. With a $34 million price tag, it is hard to see teams seeing Ayton as a valuable trade target.
Williams, on the other hand, is only on the books for $12.4 million during the 2024-25 season. Despite coming off right knee surgery, the 26-year-old center is expected to have suitors. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic are both viable landing spots for Williams in a potential trade given their need for help at the center position. Last season, the Houston Rockets also pursued Williams before settling on a trade for Steven Adams. One team that has quietly been mentioned as a possible suitor for Williams given their need for more frontcourt and rebounding help is the Sacramento Kings.
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