The Denver Nuggets reportedly expressed interest in an opt-in-and-trade deal for Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George recently, only to back out when the asking price was deemed too exorbitant.
According to Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the Clippers asked for Michael Porter Jr., Zeke Nnaji and “a significant amount of draft capital” in exchange for George. The Nuggets balked at that asking price since they “value their draft picks perhaps as much as any other contender in the league.”
George, 34, could opt out of the final year of his contract and become a free agent this offseason if he doesn’t sign an extension with the Clippers by Sunday.
In addition to the Nuggets, the Golden State Warriors are rumored to have interest in George in an opt-in-and-trade scenario, while the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic are reportedly potential suitors if he opts out.
George has long been one of the NBA’s most complete players, and he is coming off his ninth career All-Star selection. He averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.3 three-pointers made and 1.5 steals per game last season while shooting a career-best 47.1 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Perhaps most importantly, PG-13 largely stayed healthy by appearing in 74 games, which was his most since the 2018-19 season.
Over his first four seasons with the Clippers, George didn’t appear in more than 56 games in a single campaign, which is something that could give potential suitors pause in acquiring.
That same principle applies to the Clippers, who are reportedly hesitant to give him a four-year max extension.
Per Amick and Slater, the Clippers have been hoping to sign George to a deal similar to the three-year, $150 million extension Kawhi Leonard signed in January, as they want to get under the NBA’s second apron by the 2025-26 season.
However, teams in the George sweepstakes have “an understanding that he wants every year and every dollar available to him by way of the league’s collective bargaining agreement.”
Given his recent injury history, signing George to a four-year deal would be a massive risk for any team, particularly if they have to part with significant assets in a trade like the Nuggets were reportedly asked to do.
The Nuggets won the NBA championship in 2023 only to get bounced in the second round of the 2024 playoffs, but a core of three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Porter still should be good enough to go the distance in 2025 and perhaps beyond.