‘I Owe Them A Trophy’: Paul George Signs 4-Year, $190 Million Extension With The Los Angeles Clippers

The mood surrounding the Los Angeles Clippers was anything but joyful in the aftermath of their second-round collapse to the Denver Nuggets. Leaks of a fractured relationship between many players on the roster, a lack of discipline and accountability, and a potential coaching change all haunted the Clippers once they were eliminated from the bubble.

In addition to the clear on-court obstacles facing the team and internal tug-of-war battles they had to sort through, there was another situation in the background that many viewed as a dangerous reality: The two franchise pillars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, were entering the final guaranteed years of their contracts. The final team-controlled years, to be clear, as both had player options to test free agency in 2021 if they chose.

Despite expressing how gratifying it was to be in Los Angeles, near both their hometowns, the concern that both superstars could walk away after it took a gargantuan pile of assets to retrieve them in 2019 wasn’t unfounded. Any time a franchise risks its future without a long-term commitment, the front office and fanbase will be on the edge of their seats during every critical playoff moment. Tasting defeat in such ignominious fashion during Game 7 vs. Denver – choking a 3-1 series lead to throw away the matchup everyone was ready for – can lead to doubt and uncertainty moving forward.

The initial fear hanging over the Clippers’ heads was this entire 2020-21 season. On one hand, it would be year two of the new duo and roster construction, which usually indicates more cohesion and team success than year one. However, in the back of everyone’s mind, the scenario of Leonard and George opting out and leaving following another failed title run would be too much to ignore.

On Thursday, George was able to alleviate the Clippers of some stress. He also ensured a hefty payday for himself over the next five years. George signed a four-year, $190 million max extension with the Clippers, which keeps him under contract through the 2024-25 season. His final year includes a player option.

The actual salary of his contract may change since it’s affected by the league’s salary cap figure. George will earn 35 percent of the Clippers’ annual salary cap throughout his extension. Currently, the final year of his deal estimates to be worth $48.7 million.

“I love being here,” George said during Thursday’s availability. “I love the family that I’ve created in my first year. And this is where I want to be. This is home. I want to build something, a real foundation.”

Even with Leonard possibly hitting the free agent market in 2021 as the franchise’s supreme No. 1 option and marquee name, especially after their extensive recruiting efforts, there are many reasons locking George in for another four-plus years is a major win for the front office.

Above all else, obtaining George via trade came at an historically high cost. There is a reason the July 2019 trade with Oklahoma City is mocked any time George has a rough night on the court. By inking this extension, the Clippers are able to ensure they keep the best player and component in that trade without him walking out the door. Instead of being faced with a situation where they could potentially lose all of their first-round draft picks for the next several years, the promising Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and a perennial All-Star in George next summer, the Clippers can now feel comfortable about the exchange.

Secondly, it helps suppress a lot of the noise regarding the team’s future if one half of their elite wing pairing doesn’t have to consistently answer questions about his contract situation throughout the season’s natural ups and downs. There will be rocky moments for every team in this regular season grind, and now George (and the rest of the team) can cross off at least one possible distraction.

Lastly, this decision to extend during training camp serves as a solid first step in trying to extend the franchise’s window for championship contention. Before Thursday, the loyalty between George and the Clippers was all verbal. Now, with it visibly on paper, the focus turns to Leonard and his future. With the friendship he and George already developed prior to joining the Clippers, one would think this is a clear sign they are on the same page regarding their basketball future as both will be in their thirties when this season ends.

George didn’t want to speak much on what this extension meant for Leonard, but he did shed light on the open line of communication he had with his teammate about the choice to re-sign. George did acknowledge his own loyalty could be an important factor when it’s time for Leonard to make a decision.

“I’m hopeful,” George said. “I won’t put words in another man’s mouth. But I’m hopeful. He’s one of the guys I talked to. I wanted to inform (him) this is a decision I wanted to make and I wanted to be here long-term. It’s not putting a gun to Kawhi and telling him he’s got to do this, or do that. Hopefully it’s a mutual bond. We both enjoy playing with one another. Everybody has their own decisions to make.”

George will be 31 before the start of the 2021 playoffs. Already having a history of various injuries and finally having the chance to play closer to his parents, staying in Los Angeles and securing a maximum salary until he’s 35 was a no-brainer.

“My family is the biggest factor in this decision,” George said. “To stay home and make it easy on my family. Again, this is a childhood dream being fulfilled. It’s just priceless having the opportunity to play here.”

Clippers’ president Lawrence Frank has only been on the executive side of the business for four seasons, but he’s been around the league long enough to understand the difficulties of free agency. Or, in this case, the lead-up to free agency. Having served as an assistant or head coach for 19 seasons, he’s witnessed high-caliber players come and go.

He’s experienced a team going from a mid-tier playoff threat to a championship favorite just from one successful offseason, or the opposite taking place when superstar talents move on.

Guiding the Clippers through the entire “rebuild” following Lob City’s demise, Frank navigated the 2019 offseason beautifully by finding the largest puzzle pieces. This particular offseason was about improving on the margins, as well as making sure an important cornerstone felt wanted.

“I think it’s a really significant moment for the franchise,” Frank said. “It’s one thing to acquire a great player like Paul. It’s another thing to retain him. We’re extremely honored that he trusts the organization with this chapter of his career.”

As Frank noted on Thursday, what gets lost in the discourse surrounding George is how impressive (and lucky) it was that he continued his career ascension after breaking his right leg, now six years ago.

“Paul is one of the elite two-way players,” Frank said. “Players like him are very, very rare. I think something that many times doesn’t get noted is what happened to him back in 2014. For him to come back after eight months off after that gruesome injury and to show he’s still one of the best players in the world.”

George was at the height of his powers in 2014, knocking on the door of an NBA Finals berth with those physical, hard-nosed Pacers that couldn’t get over the hump with Miami in their path. Immediately after Indiana concluded their free agency moves, George suffered a compound fracture of his tibia and fibula, keeping him out of nearly all the 2014-15 seasons.

Less than two years later, he was pushing the No. 2 seeded Raptors to the brink as the only offensive creator on his team, averaging 27.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in a seven-game series loss.

Two years after that, now a member of the OKC Thunder, he was finishing third in the MVP race behind only Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden.

His double-shoulder surgery in the summer of 2019 prevented him from having a full training camp with contact and no restrictions. It wasn’t the smoothest transition to the Clippers, a team that ultimately needed every ounce of team chemistry and on-court feel as a group.

It didn’t keep George from having a successful regular season, especially in lineups that featured him and Leonard together, but it was indeed a rocky start in terms of being available and learning everyone’s tendencies.

Per minute, he was nearly on par with his 2018-19 production from OKC. He was just limited throughout the season and never found the right time to showcase it on a larger scale. In January 2020, he suffered multiple hamstring strains that made him day-to-day for an extended period of time. In March, right as he was finding his groove, COVID shut down the league.

But, as mentioned above, he still found success from an efficiency perspective. He was the league’s top corner three-point shooter at 54.8% on moderate volume, and you could sense his growth as a pick-and-roll ball-handler when Ivica Zubac cleared out defenders with his robust screens.

For good reason, the playoffs will be the only thing people remember about last year’s Clippers. A large part of that is the degree to which George’s numbers and shooting splits took a hit. Before the first-round series versus Dallas, George was catching fire in the bubble. In the end, none of it mattered when he had the most inconsistent stretch of games you’ll ever see, at least offensively, and he shot just 22-of-66 on catch-and-shoot threes in the playoffs (33.3%).

Were a lot of his struggles wildly overblown in the Nuggets series? Yes, because of how instrumental he was to the Clippers’ perimeter defense. Just like they blew a 3-1 lead, they had to build a 3-1 lead. George was arguably just as responsible as Leonard for putting Denver in the danger zone. Before Game 7, there were multiple points in which Jamal Murray was swallowed up by George in the halfcourt, unable to get enough separation. Both George and Leonard are to blame for completely disappearing in the second half of Game 7, where it just kept slipping away from them without a response.

Last year’s playoff disaster makes this contract extension so intriguing. George is banking on a long future, with the hope of doing something he couldn’t in Indiana without a co-star, or in Oklahoma City with an explosive one.

The Clippers, meanwhile, on banking on a cleaner fit and more functional environment with George feeling 100 percent before the season begins – unlike last year. They are also hopeful he snaps his three-year streak of underperforming in the postseason.

“It was a competitive team before I got here,” George said. “Them sending the house to come grab me (in 2019) shows their commitment to win and wanting to put a winning team out there. I have full faith and trust in their process and ability to build a team.”

In exchange for the $226 million he’s guaranteed over the next five years, including his player option?

“I owe them a trophy,” George said.

“This is a window we’re trying to capture. My commitment and my job is to try and bring a title here.”