Clippers President ‘Hopeful’ of Keeping Paul George, James Harden amid NBA FA Rumors

Andrew PetersMay 7, 2024

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Both Paul George and James Harden could be free agency-bound this offseason, but president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank is “hopeful” the Los Angeles Clippers can retain both, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk.

“We’d like to be able to bring back and retain Paul and James,” Frank said Monday. “We’re hopeful we can, but also understand and respect the fact that they’re free agents. Paul has a decision with his option. James will be an unrestricted free agent, so our intent is to bring him back, but also realize that they’re elite players and they’ll have choices.”

Harden is set to hit free agency after his contract expired following the conclusion of the season, but George has a $48.79 million player option that he could use to return to Los Angeles. If he doesn’t exercise the option, he too will be a free agent.

George, who has been with the Clippers for the past five seasons, put up 22.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this year. Since teaming up with Kawhi Leonard ahead of the 2019 season, their best result has been a Western Conference Finals appearance and George is still seeking his first championship.

Staying in Los Angeles could be the right move for the 34-year-old, but early reports seem to indicate he could weigh his options.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported last week that the Philadelphia 76ers are seen as the “foremost threat” to land George. The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Law Murray also noted that the Orlando Magic could pursue him.

Both the 76ers and Magic seem to be one big move away from being a Finals contender, and George could be the missing piece. Philadelphia faced a first-round exit to the New York Knicks in six games while Orlando dropped Game 7 of its first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

Harden took on a smaller role with the Clippers when he was traded from the 76ers, but seemed to embrace that role as he averaged 16.6 points, 8.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game. The 34-year-old showed flashes of his former high-scoring self throughout the season—one of those moments coming in the first round of the playoffs when he scored 33 points in a win over the Dallas Mavericks.

While Harden might be past his prime, he could still play a big role on a number of teams. He could choose to find that role with a different team, but returning to Los Angeles to run it back alongside Leonard could pay off as he looks to win his first championship.

There’s no way to determine which way George and Harden are leaning, but the Clippers will certainly do their best to keep the stars in town this offseason.