A week after agreeing to join the Philadelphia 76ers, Paul George has discussed his departure from the Los Angeles Clippers and the contract negotiations that led to his exit.
On his podcast “Podcast P with Paul George,” published Monday, George revealed his perspective on talks with the Clippers, emphasizing his desire to remain in Los Angeles. He described the Clippers’ initial offer in October as “disrespectful,” setting a contentious tone for subsequent negotiations.
“Just to put it out there, like, I never wanted to leave LA,” George said (29:00, below). “Initially I was not trying to leave LA. LA is home, this is where I wanted to finish at. I wanted to work as hard as possible to win one in LA. That was the goal, to be here and be committed to LA.
“As it played out though, like the first initial deal was, I thought, kind of disrespectful. Again, in all of this, no hard feelings, no love lost. It’s a business.
“So the first initial deal was like two years, 60 [million]. So I’m like, whoa, whoa, whoa. … So I’m like, nah. I’m not signing that.”
According to George, the Clippers gradually increased their offers throughout the season, culminating in a proposal of approximately $44-45 million annually. However, negotiations stalled when George sought assurances similar to Kawhi Leonard’s three-year, $150 million extension in January, which included a no-trade clause.
“Then I hear wind of what they’re going to give Kawhi,” George continued. “So, I’m like, ‘just give me what Kawhi got. Y’all view us the same. We came here together, we want to finish this s*** together. I’ll take what Kawhi got.’ No problem. I was cool with that.
“And we were still taking less [than max contract value]. Kawhi took less. I was like if Kawhi’s gonna take less, I’m not gonna say I want more that Kawhi. It’s not about me being paid more than him. I’m gonna take what he got. Y’all give him that, give me that. They didn’t want to do that.”
George indicated that talks were paused during the All-Star break with plans to resume post-season. After the Clippers proposed a deal similar to Leonard’s extension, he countered with a request for a no-trade clause. The Clippers declined this condition, prompting George to propose a max contract of four years and $212 million without a no-trade clause. This offer was also rejected, leading to a deadlock in negotiations.
“I love [owner] Steve [Ballmer], I love [president of basketball operations] Lawrence [Frank],” George continued. “But at that point, it didn’t even feel right to come back with that type of energy and be comfortable playing back in LA.”
Ultimately, George opted for a four-year, $212 million max contract with the 76ers. Shortly before this agreement, the Clippers announced that George would not return, detailing their perspective on the breakdown in talks.
“We negotiated for months with Paul and his representatives on a contract that would make sense for both sides, and we were left far apart,” the statement reads. “The gap was significant. We understand and respect Paul’s decision to look elsewhere for his next contract.”
George’s move to Philadelphia marks a significant NBA free agency transaction, joining a 76ers team led by Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. His departure signals the end of an era for the Clippers, who acquired George and Leonard five years ago to compete for championships. Despite reaching the Western Conference finals once in that span, the Clippers face an uncertain future without George.
