While the Warriors have seemingly written off Klay Thompson, they had an exceptional plan B with Paul George. The All-Star winger exercised his release clause and gave up on a final season at $49 million. According to ESPN, from the first hours of free agency, he will speak with the Clippers, the Sixers and the Magic. Not the Warriors, and The Athletic confirms that the franchise nevertheless tried everything to attract him.
The executives were so keen on “PG13” that they were ready to go all-in to recruit him. Our colleagues reveal that until Saturday night, the Warriors were convinced that they could crack the Clippers as part of a “sign-and-trade”. Several formulas were on the table, depending on the short or medium term needs of the Lakers. The players involved were Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody and a first round draft pick.
The Clippers didn't give in, and maybe it's because the Warriors didn't want to let go of Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga in the same package. At no time did they include the two players in the same offer, and that is perhaps what derailed the discussions…
