Following weeks of speculation about where All-Star forward Paul George will choose to sign for the next chapter of his career, he made the decision public quite quickly by agreeing to a four-year, $137 million max contract to remain with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 28-year-old announced his move at a party held by teammate and All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook on Saturday night prior to the start of the free agency period. It didn't take long after that for Westbrook to take to social media to make a post about the major news to express his excitement.
Russ is going OFF right now 🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/zoPmlq7UZ1
— Overtime (@overtime) July 1, 2018
There had been much speculation leading up to the decision that George had been leaning toward re-signing with the Thunder. In fact, reports suggest that he had informed the team early on in the process that he was going to stay with the franchise in order to help them navigate more smoothly through the free-agent market. This has already seen them agree to a three-year, $27 million deal to bring back veteran forward Jerami Grant.
This also prevents the narrative from building that Westbrook is a difficult teammate to deal with that began with the departure of Kevin Durant two summers ago. George's decision to stay was largely due to the strong bond that he built with the former league MVP in their first campaign with the franchise that led to him to not even take a meeting with another team. The Los Angeles Lakers were long believed to be the favorites to land George, but it appears his experience in Oklahoma City was quite convincing for him to choose to stay.
The Thunder now have two premier superstars locked in for the long haul that they build around for the next several years that should see them be a fixture in the playoff picture. The focus around the organization can now shift toward further shaping the roster ahead of the 2018-19 season.
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