Paul George dropped a bombshell when he revealed that the Los Angeles Clippers had initially offered him a 2-year/$60 million deal, much lower than his market value. The franchise revised the offer to 3-year/$150 million, but George wanted either an additional year or a no-trade clause, in his contract. George’s expectations have raised questions about whether he has the superstar stature to make such demands.
Advertisement
The Gil’s Arena crew also erupted into a heated debate regarding PG’s demands. While Rashad McCants and former New York Knicks guard Brandon Jennings found his demands absurd, Gilbert Arenas argued that he was simply making a business decision by maximizing his value.
Jennings argued that since George isn’t a superstar-level player like Stephen Curry or LeBron James, he can’t expect a no-trade clause in his contract,
“These guys aren’t superstars though, there are stars and there are superstars. You’re not Steph Curry, you’re not Kevin Durant, you’re not LeBron James. These guys that’s asking for no-trade clause, you’re not on that level.”
However, Arenas stated that George wanted to extend the best out of the brand he had built in LA. And in the end, his seemingly absurd demands got him what he wanted. Additionally, he brought up Leonard’s contract to raise a question.
Leonard signed a 3-year/$150 million contract in January 2024, similar to the one the Clippers offered to George, without a no-trade clause. This made Arenas wonder if Leonard made the right choice or if PG-13 hit the nail on the head by landing a $200+ million contract,
“Is Paul George smart for asking what he did or is Kawhi dumb for not putting it in his contract?”
However, Jennings wasn’t convinced by this argument, saying that since George didn’t live up to the expectations for the Clippers, he couldn’t demand too much. He didn’t mind the expectation of a higher monetary value on the contract but couldn’t wrap his head around the demand of a no-trade clause.
According to Jennings, only the top-tier players can have such expectations, which George isn’t. Overall, Arenas framed his conversation from George’s perspective.
Meanwhile, Jennings and McCants were speaking from the owner’s perspective. Their arguments revolved around George’s inconsistent tenure with the franchise which doesn’t make him worthy of a no-trade clause. While both arguments might sound sensible to some, in the end, George’s decision seems to make sense. The 76ers will be a major contender in the West next season with him, alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
