Best Paul George destinations if he leaves Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers just ended the fifth year of the Paul George and Kawhi Leonard experiment, and it ended in another miserable exit in the postseason. The Clippers sorely missed the services of Leonard for the majority of the series as his knee issues were back at the most crucial time of the season. George has a player option next year, while James Harden is entering free agency again.

Leonard signed a three-year extension last January, so the front office will make an all-out effort of retaining George and Harden, especially due to Leonard’s injury history. However, with George entering his 15th season in the NBA, he may decide to part ways with Los Angeles and suit up for a franchise that has a better chance of lifting up the Larry O’Brien trophy.

The Clippers were expected to compete for at least multiple championships with this core, but that has been far from the case. With that, here are three plausible free agent destinations for Paul George.

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Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings are an up-and-coming squad with a glaring role at the forward position. The primary reason for their subpar campaign was the injuries to Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter as it limited their options in terms of supplementing the scoring cudgels. Keegan Murray is the main forward who racks up a ton of buckets, but he is still far from the prime of his career.

If the Kings can manufacture a trade for George, it would be a massive boost to the development of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. It will be the first time they will play with a spectacular two-way scorer in George, who can also be the No. 1 option at certain junctures of the season. Furthermore, it would not be a huge adjustment for George because relocating to Sacramento from Los Angeles is not too far.

Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic has been the one clear team that will pursue high-level free agents in the offseason. They have tremendous upside of ascending in the next couple of years, but most of their core are still in their rookie contracts. Thus, they have the cap space to spend on big name guys, similar to how the Houston Rockets signed Fred VanVleet to a maximum contract last year.

The Magic have one of the best defenses in the association, but it is evident that they lack the offensive firepower to keep it up with the best in the East. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are incredible starting pieces to a competitive franchise, but they do not have an excellent shooter to complement their crew. Paul George is the veteran and knockdown shooter they need to catapult themselves into serious contention.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the teams that have the most cap space in the offseason. Any free agent will be associated or rumored with Philadelphia, and one of them would be George. Since Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are the building blocks of the franchise, they still lack a superb wing that will supplement their style of play. Among the available pieces in the offseason, George would be the most ideal fit.

When healthy, he is still one of the most lethal forwards in the association, but he still lacks the resume of winning a championship. The 76ers are the best option to propel him to his first ring, so Paul George must heavily consider moving to Philadelphia instead of staying in Los Angeles.