"They want another star" - NBA executive believes Clippers have plans to pursue replacement for Paul George with Knicks PF
The LA Clippers might be looking for another major move this offseason after losing Paul George. According to an anonymous NBA executive, they could be targeting Julius Randle to pair with Kawhi Leonard in their revamped team.
Sean Deveney reported that the Clippers are still searching for ways to fill the void left by Paul George, who left for the Philadelphia 76ers without any return for the Clippers.
One potential solution, as suggested by a Western Conference executive in Deveney’s report, is acquiring Julius Randle.
“[The Knicks] do not have a lot of options trying to find a team to take Randle. There’s not a lot of teams you can drop him into the lineup and they’d be fine, and there’s not a lot of teams that want to match up contracts there,” the executive said.
“But the Clippers could. They want another star for that group.”
Deveney suggested that the Clippers could send Ivica Zubac to the Knicks along with PJ Tucker. The Knicks could use another center after Isaiah Hartenstein’s departure to the OKC Thunder.
However, this trade would deplete the Clippers’ frontcourt, leaving them with only Mo Bamba and Kai Jones as remaining centers.
Julius Randle, who averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 46 games this season and earned his third All-Star selection, suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him for much of the second half of the season.
The Knicks face a decision regarding Randle, who is under contract until the 2024-25 season with a nearly $31 million player option for 2025-26. They have re-signed another power forward in OG Anunoby to a lengthy and hefty deal.
Fred Katz of The Athletic reported that Julius Randle could sign an extension with the Knicks on Aug. 3, potentially worth up to $181.5 million over four years. However, this could limit the Knicks' flexibility in pursuing other stars.
Recapping the Clippers’ offseason so far
Apart from losing Paul George, the Clippers underwent a significant overhaul.
They also lost key players like Mason Plumlee to the Phoenix Suns, Daniel Theis to the New Orleans Pelicans and Russell Westbrook to the Denver Nuggets.
The Clippers have signed Derrick Jones Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., Nicolas Batum, Bamba and acquired Kris Dunn in the Westbrook trade.
They also re-signed James Harden and Kai Jones.
Without George, the Clippers will be more centered on Leonard, considered one of the top two-way forwards in basketball.
When healthy, Leonard is a dominant force. He averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 68 games during the 2023-24 season, earning his sixth All-Star appearance.