NBA Rumors: Could Paul George Really End Up Staying With the Oklahoma City Thunder?
Recent rumor hinting that George's agent has told 'people associated with the NBA' that he will stay with the Thunder
Paul George will be one of the most popular players on the free agent market this offseason, and rightfully so.
The 28-year-old George has established himself as one of the best two-way players in the league, someone who's as good at knocking down three-pointers and throwing down monster slams as he is locking down opponents and keeping them off balance.
George has long been a consistent two-way threat on the floor, and even a move to a new team did not make him a less effective player.
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Even if his scoring went down a bit playing alongside Russell Westbrook and the rest of his teammates on the Oklahoma City Thunder, he compensated for that by becoming a better three-point marksman while also getting more steals.
George is precisely the type of player who can fit in well with any team, as he spaces the floor but doesn't always need the ball in his hands on offense and then he competes very well defensively.
In all likelihood, every contending team with even a small chance of signing George this summer will try to do so, but for many fans, it's not even worth wondering about which team he will eventually go to.
George has not been shy about expressing his desire to play for his hometown team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
There were already rumblings that George would go to the Lakers regardless of how this season played out, but his current team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, losing in the first round of the playoffs only seemed to make people more confident in their belief that he will sign with the storied franchise.
A recent rumor is hinting that people may want to hold off on assuming George is California-bound this summer however.
Spotted by DailyThunder.com, Dean Blevins of News 9 in Oklahoma City recently shared something he heard from "separate conversations." Blevins revealed that he's been told that George's agent has informed people connected to the NBA that his client will be staying with the Thunder. Apparently, George feels that the injury to Andre Roberson was devastating to the team, and that may have given him a reason to stick around and see what happens if everyone's healthy.
Obviously, this particular rumor will be tough to verify since George likely isn't ready to open up about his free agency plans currently, but the idea of him staying with the Thunder is not really that hard to believe.
George had plenty of good things to say about Westbrook during the season, hinting that the two of them had really begun to form a bond. Plus, the loss of Roberson really did hurt the team as it took away a rotation player who played excellent defense.
One more thing, George actually still has a player option for next year, and what he could do is exercise that and then he, Westbrook and the other members of the team can just run things back while hoping everyone stays healthy.
Furthermore, unless the Lakers can get a commitment from another superstar player, there's no guarantee that George will even be on a more competitive team if he decides to move to Los Angeles next season.
George signing with the Lakers still seems like a probable occurrence this summer, but if he decides to stay with the Thunder, people should not be shocked as well.
