76ers' Paul George: Expects preseason restrictions
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George said Friday that he is unsure when he'll play in the preseason and the goal is getting ready for the regular season, Austin Krell of USA Today reports.
George will likely be a limited participant throughout the preseason as the club prepares for the regular season. Philadelphia is expected to explore its bench options including Ricky Council, KJ Martin, Guerschon Yabusele and Justin Edwards -- leaving George under a minutes restriction.
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76ers' Paul George: Agrees to join Philadelphia
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George agreed to a four-year, $212 million maximum contract with the 76ers on Monday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
After spending the last five seasons with the Clippers, George recently declined his player option for the 2024-25 season and informed the team that he intended to sign elsewhere. The 34-year-old will form a potent trio in Philadelphia, joining fellow superstars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. George's main drawback during his time with the Clippers was his trouble staying on the court, but he appeared in 74 regular-season games last year, his highest mark since the 2018-19 season. He averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 33.8 minutes per game, and the 76ers will be a force in the Eastern Conference if George can remain healthy with his new team.
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Paul George: Plans to leave Clippers
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George has informed the Clippers that he plans to sign with another team in free agency, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.
George recently declined his $48.7 million player option with the Clippers, and he won't return to the team after the two sides had a meeting Sunday. The 76ers appear to be the favorites to sign the 34-year-old, but he'll presumably have offers from multiple suitors. Over 74 regular-season appearances last year, George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 33.8 minutes per game.
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Paul George: Declines player option Saturday
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George declined his $48.7 million player option with the Clippers on Saturday, and he will now become an unrestricted free agent, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
George declining his player option now takes any hope of a trade off the table for the Clippers. The All-Star will plan on meeting with several teams who have the cap space to sign him, the Clippers included. George was tasked with carrying the offensive load in the playoffs during Kawhi Leonard's (knee) absence last season, and the Clippers' refusal to extend him on a four-year maximum contract is likely the reason why he elected to become a free agent. The 34-year-old averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals across 33.8 minutes in 74 regular-season games. George also shot 47.1 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from three, both career highs for the 14-year veteran.
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Clippers' Paul George: Scores 18 points in Game 6 defeat
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George amassed 18 points (6-18 FG, 2-10 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 11 rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal over 42 minutes during Friday's 114-101 loss to the Mavericks in Game 6 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
George was asked to carry the Clippers offensively in the absence of Kawhi Leonard (knee), but he ended the series on a sour note, as he couldn't reach the 20-point mark in three of his last four appearances. In fact, George surpassed the 22-point mark just once in the six contests against the Mavericks, and his numbers throughout the series were disappointing. He averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 41.1 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from three-point range. That marked a clear decline compared to his regular-season figures, and it might be fair to wonder if the Clippers are going to bring him back for 2024-25 or if they might look at potential trade options during the offseason.
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Clippers' Paul George: Lifts offensively in Game 4 victory
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George recorded 33 points (11-19 FG, 7-10 3Pt, 4-7 FT), six rebounds, eight assists, one block and four steals across 43 minutes during Sunday's 116-111 win over the Mavericks in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
George led all players in Sunday's contest in threes made while ending with a team-high-tying point total and leading all Clippers players in assists and steals to help Los Angeles get a much-needed win to even the series with Dallas entering Game 5. George's point and assist totals were his highest of the series thus far, and he's tallied at least 20 points in three straight games. George and James Harden will need to continue to lead the Clippers as they attempt to take a series lead in Game 5 in Los Angeles.
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Clippers' Paul George: Woeful in Game 3 loss
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George racked up seven points (3-11 FG, 1-6 3Pt), five rebounds and five assists across 30 minutes during Friday's 101-90 loss to the Mavericks in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
George was non-existent in the loss, putting up his worst performance in quite some time. The Clippers managed to hang around but were never really in the contest. George is going to have to be much better when the two teams line up again Sunday if the Clippers hope to return home with the series tied up.
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Clippers' Paul George: Strong from deep in 20-point game
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George registered 22 points (8-20 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, three assists and one steal across 38 minutes during Sunday's 109-97 win over the Mavericks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
George had a strong performance from deep in Sunday's Game 1 victory, connecting on a quartet of threes while ending second on the team in scoring and as one of three Clippers with 20 or more points in a winning effort. George, who also hauled in a half-dozen rebounds, concluded the regular season by scoring at least 20 points in six of his final 10 outings. George and teammate James Harden will continue to function as the top offensive options for the Clippers if Kawhi Leonard (knee) misses additional time.
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Clippers' Paul George: Officially ruled out
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George (rest) has been ruled out for Sunday's matchup against the Rockets, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.
George wasn't listed on any of the Clippers' injury reports but has been ruled out a few minutes after not being included in the starting lineup. He'll turn his sights on preparing for Game 1 of the opening-round series against Dallas next weekend.
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Clippers' Paul George: Not in starting lineup
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George has not been ruled out of Sunday's regular-season finale, but he is not in the starting lineup against Houston, Justin Russo of the 'Clip & Roll' podcast reports.
The Clippers are starting Xavier Moon, Terance Mann, Amir Coffey, P.J. Tucker and Mason Plumlee, so George may just be available as an emergency option. If he does not play, the star wing will finish the regular season with averages of 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks and 3.3 triples across 33.8 minutes per game.
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Clippers' Paul George: Available to play Friday
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George (knee) is not on the injury report for Friday's game against the Jazz, Justin Russo of the 'Clip & Roll' podcast reports.
The expected return of George for Friday's game against the Jazz is a welcome sign for a Clippers team that will be without Kawhi Leonard (knee) and possibly James Harden (foot). Thus, George should experience a high usage rate Friday, as the Clippers would lock up the fourth seed in the Western Conference with a win over Utah.
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Clippers' Paul George: Erupts in fourth quarter vs. Cavs
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George totaled 39 points (10-24 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 16-16 FT), 11 rebounds, seven assists, one block and one steal in 44 minutes during Sunday's 120-118 victory over Cleveland.
George scored 23 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter to help the Clippers rally from a 26-point deficit Sunday. He also connected on the go-ahead jumper with seven seconds to play. Despite Kawhi Leonard missing the last four games due to right knee inflammation, George and the Clippers have gone 3-1 over that span and remain in fourth place in the Western Conference. Since March 1, George is averaging 24.4 points on 51.1 percent shooting (including 45.4 percent from three), 5.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals over 34.8 minutes per game.
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Clippers' Paul George: Scores team-high 28 points
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George finished Thursday's 102-100 win over the Nuggets with 28 points (10-21 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 6-8 FT), four rebounds, two assists and three steals in 37 minutes.
George was the driving force behind the Clippers' narrow win, staving off a late Denver rally with seven points in the fourth quarter. Even without Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers proved they can be dangerous, as George and James Harden found an answer after being down by as much as 17 points in the first half. The team may have Leonard back against Utah Friday evening, but expect another solid result from George if he remains sidelined.
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Clippers' Paul George: Notches 18 points in defeat
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George chipped in 18 points (5-12 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 6-6 FT), four rebounds, one assist and two steals in 29 minutes during Tuesday's 109-95 loss to the Kings.
Kawhi Leonard (knee) did not travel with the team, placing pressure on George to put up a big number. Unfortunately for the Clippers, George did not generate his best effort. Leonard's absence forced George to play more inside, and although he has extensive experience as an interior presence, the team is more accustomed to letting Leonard take control at the wing and giving George more off-the-ball opportunities at shooting guard. George has notably struggled without Leonard this season, and the Clippers will likely need to be at full strength to keep their fourth-place spot in the West.
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Clippers' Paul George: Scores season-high 41 points Sunday
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George accumulated 41 points (14-21 FG, 8-12 3Pt, 5-5 FT), seven rebounds, four assists and one steal in 40 minutes during Sunday's 130-118 win over the Hornets.
George had one of his most efficient performances of the season Sunday, tallying a season-high scoring mark and shooting at an extremely high clip. The veteran forward bounced back admirably from a subpar 12-point effort against the Magic on Friday, and he remains an influential do-it-all player for the Clippers, even if he has an off game as a scorer from time to time. George has averaged 25.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocks per game across his last 10 outings.
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Clippers' Paul George: Double-double in Wednesday's win
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George accumulated 22 points (7-18 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 10 rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal across 34 minutes during Wednesday's 108-107 win over Philadelphia.
The 33-year-old wing led the Clippers in scoring on the night while producing only his second double-double of the season, with the other coming back on Nov. 30. George has ceded most of his distribution duties to James Harden, and his 3.6 assists a game is his lowest mark since 2017-18, but he's compensated for his reduced usage with better efficiency, with his 47.0 percent shooting from the floor being a career high. He's been even sharper through 14 games in March, and George has averaged 23.9 points, 5.0 boards, 3.6 threes, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks on the month while shooting 52.7 percent on field-goal attempts and 46.4 percent on three-point attempts.
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Clippers' Paul George: Posts 26 points in loss
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George supplied 26 points (12-18 FG, 2-4 3Pt), three assists, two steals, one rebound and one block across 33 minutes during Monday's 133-116 loss to the Pacers.
George and fellow superstar Kawhi Leonard both put up 26 points Monday, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Clippers from dropping their fifth straight home game. George made solid contributions on defense with two steals and a block but finished with very modest numbers on the boards and as a distributor for the second straight game. He's a good bet for 20-plus points most times he takes the court, with much of his scoring coming from deep -- he's knocked down multiple triples in 15 straight contests dating back to Feb. 22.
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Clippers' Paul George: Scores team-high 31 points Friday
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George closed Friday's 125-117 win over the Trail Blazers with 31 points (10-14 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 7-7 FT), four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals over 28 minutes.
George was extremely efficient as a scorer and led the Clippers to victory in a game that turned out to be closer than initially expected. George has been on a tear of late and has eclipsed the 20-point mark in nine games in a row, averaging 25.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and a combined 2.9 steals-plus-blocks in that stretch.
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Clippers' Paul George: Leads way in win
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George amassed 27 points (10-18 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), six rebounds, four assists, one block and two steals in 36 minutes during Wednesday's 116-103 victory over Portland.
George paced all players in scoring in the contest, finishing with his eighth straight performance of 20-plus points. The star forward has also drained multiple triples in 12 consecutive contests and ranks sixth in the NBA with 205 total three-pointers on the campaign. Perhaps most positively of all for his fantasy managers, George has managed to stay mostly healthy this year, as his 62 games played is already his highest total since the 2018-19 season.
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Clippers' Paul George: Posts 26 points in loss
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George totaled 26 points (9-20 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds, one assist, one block and four steals across 35 minutes during Sunday's 110-93 loss to the Hawks.
George has scored 20-plus points in seven consecutive games and shined on the defensive end with four steals during Sunday's loss. Kawhi Leonard has been the more consistent scorer between the duo this season, but George is usually not far behind. They seem to perform better when James Harden is at their disposal, and his return to action should help George's ability to create shots off the ball.
