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Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN Employees Author
DALLAS — After shedding within the first spherical with Kawhi Leonard injured for the second straight postseason, the LA Clippers head into the offseason with uncertainty surrounding the futures of Paul George and James Harden.
George has a participant choice for subsequent season price $48.8 million and may grow to be a free agent if he and the Clippers are unable to agree on an extension previous to June 30. Harden might be an unrestricted free agent and should wait to see what occurs with George first earlier than determining his future with the Clippers.
Following the Clippers’ 114-101 loss in Sport 6 at Dallas, George was requested if he sees himself with the Clippers long run alongside Leonard and Harden.
“Yeah,” George stated. “If it really works that manner, completely.”
After the Clippers’ season got here to an finish, George and Harden stated they have not actually thought of their contracts but.
“I do not even know,” stated Harden, who completed with 16 factors, 13 assists and seven rebounds however missed all six of his 3-point makes an attempt on Friday. “You’re asking a variety of questions that I haven’t got the reply to or have not even thought of.”
The Clippers have a busy offseason forward of them so far as making an attempt to maintain this crew intact. The franchise is planning to pursue a contract extension with Ty Lue to keep away from having the top coach enter the ultimate 12 months of his deal in 2025-26, sources advised ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday.
After which there’s George and Harden. Leonard signed a three-year, $153-million extension in January. With the Clippers prone to exceed $200 million in payroll subsequent season, they are going to be restricted in how they will enhance the crew because of the second apron.
Ought to George grow to be a free agent, there might be a number of suitors for the 34-year-old.
George performed 74 regular-season video games this season, probably the most he is performed by far in his 5 seasons with the Clippers. The All-Star averaged 22.6 factors, 5.2 rebounds and a career-high 41.3% from 3.
After buying and selling for Harden in late October, the Clippers ultimately took off and went on a 26-5 tear in the course of the season to succeed in the highest of the Western Convention standings in early February.
However the crew sputtered after that resulting from accidents and inconsistency. Leonard missed the ultimate eight video games of the common season and Sport 1 of the primary spherical with irritation in his surgically-repaired proper knee. He performed in Video games 2 and three earlier than the crew held him out after he did not appear to be his regular self in Sport 3.
George, who completed with 18 factors and 11 rebounds however shot 2-for-10 from 3-point vary in Sport 6, stated he’ll speak about his future together with his household and family members quickly.
“I am not even centered on that but,” George stated of his future. “I bought rather a lot to type of digest myself, so I have never even bought to that but. Look ahead to type of going again, simply letting every part type of decompress, speak to my household, be round household help after which handle the following step… Yeah, it is simply not the place I am there. I am not there but.”
ESPN’s Bobby Marks contributed to this story.