Paul George: Warriors Trade ‘Was Close to Being Done’; Klay Thompson May Have Stayed

zach bacharContributor IJuly 8, 2024

Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images

Paul George revealed that he nearly joined the Golden State Warriors before he eventually signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.

George detailed the potential trade to the Warriors during Monday’s edition of Podcast P, presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment. He also mentioned that Golden State would have been able to retain Klay Thompson.

That was a real thing that was close to being done. That deal was close to being done from what I was being told on the situation, they was expressing just how much they wanted me there, how I could have fit in perfectly with Draymond [Green], Steph [Curry]. Klay [Thompson] probably would’ve stayed. [Brandin] Podziemski, [Jonathan] Kuminga, [Andrew] Wiggins. They didn’t know how or what package was going to be there to trade for me…[Kevon] Looney was going to be there and so it was very intriguing and it was still an opportunity to stay close to home, stay on the West Coast, and it was a win-win. I think Steph is a unicorn, one of one player, and Joel’s a unicorn…So it was kind of like a good situation to be in the middle of, but ultimately the deal didn’t go through. I think Clippers didn’t want a certain trade deal that Warriors were willing to give and yeah, it just didn’t happen but it was close. It’d been dope, man. I was looking forward to it, if it happened.Instead, George ended up joining the 76ers on a four-year deal worth $212 million. Meanwhile, Thompson was sent to the Dallas Mavericks as part of a sign-and-trade agreement and received a three-year contract worth $50 million.

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported on Wednesday that the Warriors “engaged in a spirited effort” to acquire George in a trade before the deadline to accept or decline his $48.8 million player option for the 2024-25 season.

Per Shelburne, Golden State offered “multiple” trade packages centered around expiring contracts, young players and an unprotected 2027 first-round pick. However, the team was hesitant to include former lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga in any potential deal.

George’s fit on the Warriors could have been intriguing, as he would have added more shooting to a team that finished the regular season with the second-most three-pointers in the Association (via NBA.com). Stephen Curry, Thompson and George all shot over 38 percent from three while attempting at least seven long-range shots per game during the 2023-24 season.

Bleacher Report @BleacherReportPAUL GEORGE FOR THE WIN 💥 pic.twitter.com/Szvi9nnPgd

Despite the Warriors’ impressive shooting, they were unable to make the playoffs in a competitive Western Conference despite finishing with a commendable 46-36 record. The lack of a consistent scoring threat outside of Curry was an issue, as Thompson shot 0-of-10 from the field during Golden State’s season-ending loss to the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament.

The Warriors haven’t made any blockbuster additions during the offseason after missing out on George, choosing to acquire quality role players instead. They added a pair of former 76ers guards, De’Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield. Golden State also acquired veteran forward Kyle Anderson in a sign-and-trade that involved the Minnesota Timberwolves.