Paul George is bound to become one of the best free agents at his position to enter the market by July 1, and while the Los Angeles Lakers have been more than just chomping at the bit to try and acquire him (even getting a tampering fine for their troubles), the Oklahoma City Thunder might just have what it takes to keep him.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski offered during an appearance in NBA Draft: On The Clock that George's current team had actually sold George into staying by surrounding him with people he could see himself playing with, making this a tougher decision than most anticipated — especially with the Houston Rockets joining the George sweepstakes.
Via Matthew Moreno of Lakers Nation:
“Like LeBron James, any place he’d tell a team, ‘I’d like to come,’ they’d create salary cap space for him. But, Oklahoma City has done a great job on selling him on a future there,” said Wojnarowski. “He liked playing with Russell Westbrook, Steven Adams and Billy Donovan. They have a real opportunity to keep him, but the Lakers are home. He grew up in L.A. and when he left Indiana, his plan was that he would be in L.A. in a year. So you have to credit Oklahoma City for really turning his head on that. … And Houston will be aggressive to try to see if there’s a way to get him there.”
Despite some poor playoff performances in recent memory, George remains a highly-valuable asset and one that can change a franchise, reaching the prime of his NBA career.
The Lakers and Rockets will have to make considerable pitches to pry him away from Westbrook and Adams, though the temptation of playing at home or immediate chances to contend for a title could sway his vote.
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