NBA
The Knicks had a chance to sign Paul George, but New York’s front office was unwilling to give him an extension
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated05 Jul 2023
Last Friday the free agency period started and the league’s top players were signed. Along with free agents being signed, teams are also busy making offseason trades. The New York Knicks and LA Clippers reportedly had trade discussions surrounding Paul George. However, New York’s front office was unwilling to sign him to an extension. George is in the final year of his contract with a player option in 2024-25.
The 33-year-old just finished his fourth season with the LA Clippers. George has not been lucky when it comes to injuries in his time with LA. It’s limited his playing time. His 56 games during this season were the most he’s played in four years with the Clippers.
Still, he’s one of the top forwards in the NBA when he’s healthy and playing at his best. That’s why the Knicks were looking into trading for him this offseason. The Knicks did not want to sign George long-term with the contracts they already have on their roster.
Report: Knicks rejected potential Paul George trade, didn’t want to give him an extension https://t.co/5fquMHCO2i
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) July 4, 2023
Paul George was being monitored by the Knicks, but he was ultimately too expensive
This news was reported by ESPN’s Alan Hahn. He said that New York had a real chance to sign George this offseason. The Knicks felt that it was too expensive to sign George long-term. Hahn said that the Clippers were very clear about what it would cost for a trade.
On top of that, George was vocal about wanting that long-term deal. That’s when the Knicks walked away and the deal is “off the table” for now. New York has been trying to add all-star talent to their roster for the last two offseasons. Their addition of Jalen Brunson was massive in the 2022 off-season.
They need to continue to add to the roster and they’ve done that this offseason. New York has three players on their 2023-24 roster who will be earning $23+ million. Altogether, they would be paying over $4 million in luxury taxes under the league’s new CBA. A key reason why they were unwilling to make a trade and sign George long-term.
