During the Oklahoma City Thunder's last visit at Staples Center against the Los Angeles Lakers, All-Star forward Paul George was once again the center of attention from the fans in the attendance. This saw them break out into a “We want Paul” chant that could be heard throughout the arena in the midst of the game.
Following the contest, George downplayed even hearing the chant taking place. However, his teammate Russell Westbrook has made it clear what he did in response to it, according to Tania Ganguli of the LA Times.
Throughout the entire process, Westbrook has been quite vocal about his desire to keep George in the mix well beyond this season. He has continued to build a budding relationship with him on and off the court that could be key to helping convince the 27-year-old to either opt into the final year of his deal or sign a new long-term contract in free agency.
Westbrook has been extremely supportive of George that included voicing his displeasure with him not being selected as one of the original reserves for the 2018 All-Star Game. This was followed up by an encouraging response by George stating his appreciation towards his teammate's comments on his behalf.
However, the Lakers have continued to remain in the picture as a possible landing spot for the George. It has been clear for over the last year that he has a strong desire to play in Los Angeles by signing with the team in free agency. George has continued to stay on the course of straying away from discussing his upcoming decision in the offseason, but it has been a prevalent topic of conversation up through this point in his season in Oklahoma City.
Ultimately, the Thunder's success in the playoffs should dictate what his plan of action will be over the summer.