Paul George was one of the hottest names in rumors during the NBA offseason. He ended up being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder after informing the Indiana Pacers that he did not plan to re-sign with them. Now, the question remains, will he re-sign with the Thunder following the 2017-18 NBA season?
According to a recent interview with George, the new extension that reigning MVP Russell Westbrook signed with the Thunder will factor into his 2018 free agency decision. He also talked about how he is enjoying his early start with Oklahoma City.
“We’ve been on an unbelievable start right now, and for him to be committed here, it says a lot,” George said. “Not only in us pairing together, but just knowing what type of dude Russ is and his values and his beliefs and him being committed to this organization says a lot. And I’m one person that’s enjoying it here, so I think when that time comes, the decision will be easier to make for myself.”
“From the commitment from the front office all the way down to Russ, the commitment here is off the charts. I had a feeling he wanted to remain a Thunder. But again, you let guys deal with their situations, and that’s what it was. He had to make his decision.”
George and Westbrook will be joined by Carmelo Anthony this season as well. They are expected to be one of the teams in the Western Conference that can compete with the Golden State Warriors. Not many expect that they can defeat the Warriors, but they certainly are going to be an intriguing team to watch.
Rumors have surrounded George and his desire to join his hometown Los Angeles Lakers next offseason. Magic Johnson and the Lakers even got fined for tampering with George. Keeping George won’t be easy for the Thunder, but locking up their stars long-term is certainly a good way to make a pitch to him.
Expect to see the Thunder remain a serious contender to re-sign George next offseason. He certainly sounds like he has interest in sticking around in Oklahoma City, but just ask the Pacers, he has done that before and changed his mind.
Do you think Paul George will end up re-signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder? If not, where do you think he will end up signing? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!