Fact Check: Is Paul George getting traded to Knicks? Debunking trade rumors about Clippers superstar
Paul George has reportedly been the centerpiece of trade talks between the LA Clippers and the New York Knicks as of late, as per reports by SNY's Ian Begley. The 33-year-old star missed the 2022-23 playoffs due to injury and the Clippers lost to the Phoenix Suns in Round 1. George has played an average of 47 games in the past three seasons.
Paul George's injury history is a concern for the Clippers moving forward. The Clippers have failed to make a deep playoff run with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. With George potentially having the option to become a free agent the next summer, this season would be the perfect time to explore his trade value and options.
The Clippers are gauging the trade interest in Paul George 🤯
“League sources tell The Stein Line that the LA Clippers have left various rival teams with the impression through their Draft Week conversations that they are, at a minimum, attempting to gauge Paul George's trade… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/g0nr2jPfEM
Paul George will earn $45.6 million in upcoming season. If he uses his player option, he will earn $48.7 million in 2024–25. But, he could become a free agent. Given this situation along with George's injury history, the Knicks and Clippers trade talks could come to fruition.
The best trade scenario thus far was floated by Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley. He suggested a three-team trade between the Clippers, Blazers and Knicks. Todd LerFondler from ButtcrackSports suggested a similar trade.
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Clippers are trading Paul George to the New York Knicks in a deal centered around RJ Barrett, per @ToddLerFondler. https://t.co/ZMDoJgMM79
The three-team trade could look something like this:
New York Knicks: Paul George
LA Clippers: Damian Lillard
Portland Trail Blazers: RJ Barrett, three first-round picks
While this trade makes sense on paper, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reported that there was “nothing” brewing for George and “don’t expect it [trade] to happen.” So, as of now, all the rumors of George being traded are false.
We will have to wait and see if the Clippers pull the trigger on this trade or if they want to run it back yet another time.
Will Kawhi Leonard be available for training camp?
Kawhi Leonard had a meniscus tear in his knee in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs. Leonard underwent a procedure on this knee on June 6 and will reportedly be ready to play in the training camp in September as per Lawrence Frank, the president of basketball operations for the LA Clippers.
The bigger concern for the fans seems to be whether or not Leonard will be able to remain healthy for the full season.
Leonard has had an unfortunate history of injuries. He had a right quadriceps tendinopathy in his time with San Antonio Spurs, right knee tendinitis in his time with Toronto Raptors, a torn right ACL and now a torn right meniscus in his time with the LA Clippers. Given this history, it would be naive to expect Leonard to have an injury-free future.
The best path for Leonard moving forward would arguably be to load manage throughout the season and then make a strong push in the playoffs. In fact, Leonard has followed this process for a few seasons now and has still hit some road bumps. Regardless, this is still the best path forward for Leonard.