Draymond Green ‘Salty’ About Warriors Losing Paul George; Clippers Didn’t ‘Play Ball’

Julia StumbaughJuly 3, 2024

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Draymond Green is not happy that the Los Angeles Clippers did not agree to a sign-and-trade deal that would have sent Paul George to the Golden State Warriors.

George instead walked in free agency, where he has agreed to a four-year, $212 maximum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

“Also a little salty about that because, as you all know, Paul George was going to come to the Warriors, and we wanted Paul George to come to the Warriors,” Green said Wednesday on the Draymond Green Show (31:30 mark.)

“We always talk about these organizations, what they do for their players and what not… and the Clippers didn’t really want to play ball, didn’t really want to help him get to where he wanted to go.”

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported Wednesday that sign-and-trade talks between the Warriors and Clippers stalled when Golden State refused to include Jonathan Kuminga in a trade package.

That led George to free agency, where the Warriors did not have enough cap room to offer him the maximum deal he was seeking.

“So in turn, (the Clippers) get nothing back, whereas you could’ve gotten something back for Paul George walking, they get absolutely nothing back,” Green said.

Green continued: “I kind of understand it, I suppose. You don’t want him in the same division as you, ’cause you may know how that looks if he comes with us.”

The Warriors had envisioned adding George to create a big three alongside Green and Curry.

“Would have been nice,” Green said. “Would have been really nice… I think what Paul George could have done if he did come to the Dubs would’ve been amazing.”

Instead the 34-year-old will head to Philadelphia, where he will form a trio with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

The Sixers will now hope the addition of George will get the team past the second round for the first time in the Embiid era, while the Warriors will seek a different way to recover from missing the 2024 playoffs altogether.