Paul George would be an “ideal fit” for the Knicks, but it won’t be easy to acquire him if he fails to reach a long-term deal with the Clippers, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. The 34-year-old forward has a $48.8MM player option for next season that must be picked up by June 29. He’s eligible for a four-year, $221MM extension with Los Angeles, but negotiations have been at an impasse.
George’s three-point shooting, pick-and-roll skills and constant movement would help him blend seamlessly with the rest of New York’s roster, according to Katz, who adds that George and OG Anunoby would become the best pair of perimeter defenders in the league. Katz points out that George has a history of playing alongside other stars and he’s a client of CAA, which was formerly run by Knicks president Leon Rose.
New York won’t have cap space to sign George if he opts out, and the Clippers wouldn’t be permitted to sign and trade him because they’re above the second apron. The Knicks would need George to opt in to make a deal possible, and Katz is skeptical that L.A. would be in a hurry to move him if he’s under contract for another season.
Sources tell Katz that the Knicks have considered George in the past, but they’ve never made a serious offer to acquire him. That could change if he and the Clippers agree that picking up the option and being traded this summer is the best course of action.
There’s more from New York:
- Sources also tell Katz that the Knicks’ desire to add Donovan Mitchell isn’t nearly as strong as it was two years ago. There has been speculation that the Cavaliers guard could be available again if he doesn’t agree to an extension this summer. New York made an offer to Utah for Mitchell in 2022, but Katz notes that Jalen Brunson‘s emergence into a star has diminished the need for another scoring guard. Katz also examines Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns, Dejounte Murray and DeMar DeRozan as potential additions. Katz cites sources who say that the Nets have been offered multiple first-round picks for Bridges, but they continue to view him as part of the foundation and hope to eventually pair him with another star.
- After their playoff run ended, members of the Knicks organization expressed confidence about their chances of re-signing both Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein, per Ian Begley of SNY. Begley adds that the team expects competition for both players and could be outbid for Hartenstein because league rules limit their offer to about $16MM for next season and $72.5MM over four years.
- In a subscriber-only piece, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post examines Rose’s draft history to see if it offers any clues about what the Knicks might do with picks No. 24 and 25 this year.
Seeking clarification here…second apron teams can’t sign-and-trade at all? I thought they just weren’t able to create and later use a traded player exception from a sign-and-trade. (Aside from also being restricted from acquiring a player via sign-and-trade, being above the apron, of course.)
The CBA wording is really confusing, but it does sound like they wouldn’t be able to use George’s outgoing salary as a matching piece to take back players if they’re still going to end up over the second apron once the sign-and-trade is finalized.
Essentially, if I’m interpreting the rule correctly, second-apron teams wouldn’t be able to use a trade exception created via sign-and-trade either non-simultaneously OR simultaneously.
They could still technically sign-and-trade George if they don’t take salary back (though there probably wouldn’t be much point) or if they take some salary back but end up below the second apron upon the completion of the deal.
I’m seeking confirmation on this, so I’ll report back in this thread if and when I learn anything.
Yep. The biggest takeaway the CBA cut out. You can’t hang players like they are jewelry while fanagaling the controls in back.
It forces them and the other players into the market. Over time the small market teams will emerge as the big winners.
Mentioned this below as well, but I can now confirm this restriction applies to both non-simultaneous and simultaneous trades.
If you do a S&T you are hard capped at the second apron and can not exceed it for any reason. The S&T cant take you over it, and it doesnt work like cap room where you can use it then sign players. Your stuck below the apron until the next league year unless you trade away the player that was taken in the S&T to a new team since the rules move with the player ie when the GSW traded DLo for Wiggins the restrictions from the DLo S&T moved to MIN.
This is also an example of how stupid NBA writers constantly do articles about things that will never ever happen… There is virtually no circumstance where PG can get to NY period, so Katz just wasted his words and our time on some stupid s***
The Knicks could aquire Paul George but it’s highly unlikely. As the article states he’d have to opt into his contract. The Clippers can’t aggregate his salary and the Knicks have no player on the same salary but they could trade two for two. George and Kai Jones for Bogdanovìc and Randle would theoretically work.
There’s no benefit for George though unless he really badly wanted to play for the Knicks. He’d be taking a chance on $150,000,000 guaranteed in hopes that he could demand the same salary offers next off season as this one.
Not so, in either case.
It’s only the team(s) receiving a player under a S&T contract that’s deemed to be acquiring a player in a S&T transaction. Teams only need to aggregate the players they are trading (not those they are receiving).
NYK don’t want PG13, but if for some reason they did (like OG signing elsewehere), then as long as the NYK are under the apron (after the S&T transaction), LAC could sign PG13 under a contract that is for S&T to NYK with the NYK sending back multiple contracts for matching purposes. LAC could not receive more that 100% of PG13’s new salary.
@ChapmansVacuum For clarity’s sake, the rule rxbrgr is asking about is different from the one that has been in place for many years that hard-caps a team that ACQUIRES a player via sign-and-trade (also, the hard cap in that case doesn’t move from team to team with the player — Golden State was still hard-capped that season even after trading D-Lo to Minnesota).
This is a new rule that affects teams who send out a player in a sign-and-trade, which has never been an issue in the past.
Luke – Are you saying the NYK (as a non-apron team) can’t acquire PG13 in a S&T if the LAC (as a second apron team) receive back ANY players, even those under existing contracts?
I don’t doubt it, based on who writes the CBA, although it wasn’t in the summary I read (I didn’t read the new CBA itself). It also runs counter to the purpose of all the other restrictions, which was to “encourage” teams over the second apron to shed salary. This almost compels LAC to resign PG13, and also limits PG13’s options (punishing the player because his team went over the second apron) since a S&T is often the only avenue for a star player to get to a contender.
That’s right. It’s mentioned in this summary: link to ak-static.cms.nba.com
The language there says a second apron team is unable to “acquire a Player Contract using a TPE in respect of a player whose Contract was traded pursuant to a sign-and-trade,” which I’d initially interpreted as meaning a second-apron team couldn’t generate a TPE in a non-simultaneous trade by signing-and-trading a player (like the Celtics did last year with Grant Williams or the Heat did with Max Strus). But I’ve just confirmed that it applies to simultaneous trades as well.
As I mentioned in one of my comments above, there are scenarios in which the Clippers could still sign-and-trade Paul George. But if they’re above the second apron upon completion of that transaction, they wouldn’t be able to take back any incoming salary using George’s outgoing salary as part of that deal.
So, no deal. The LAC could only get draft picks in the deal (and lose the entire salary slot), and NYK would first need to send their outgoing salaries to one or more cap space (or TPE) teams. If its the NYK replacing OG because he wants to sign elsewhere, they might go through the hoops. But I don’t see how the LAC even consider it as long as they’re in all in; just pay PG13 and trade him before the deadline.
My 5 best free agents to watch in June 30
Paul George
Isaiah Hartenstein
DLo
Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets
Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings
Note: any free agent not in my list is likely to stay.
Knicks need to unload the wagon for Bridges and send Randle and half a dozen first rounders (or more) over to the Nets. Resign OG and IH and pray there are no serious injuries along the way.
Donovan Mitchell would be an awful fit alongside Brunson. They’d better pursue Butler if he doesn’t get it done with the Heat.
Sources also tell Katz that the Knicks’ desire to add
Donovan Mitchell and examine
Mikal Bridges,
Karl-Anthony Towns,
Dejounte Murray
DeMar DeRozan
IMO
Knicks are likely to get worse next season.
This season
2nd seed
2nd best playoffs team if fully healthy
The NYK FO doesn’t speak to Begley, or others of his ilk. Of course, members of the NYK organization could refer to others (e.g., the maintenance crew), but if they’re speaking to Begley, they like don’t know much.
If Anunoby and IH are coming back, then I would expect that their deals will be done (or all but done) prior to the draft.
Who cares ……. we don’t want George. So take your aprons to the Clippers. And stay there…….
Knicks have a SF. His name is OG. He’s also a FA we must sign. No Knick cares about PG13.
Knicks will lose a center imo. Either to FA or in a trade. So I expect them to select a Center. There will be one there. Or just sign one in FA.
I like DaRon Holmes if hes there at 24
I like Ware first. Don’t think he’ll be there. Love to see Thibs workout Edey. But he’s also moving up on boards. Holmes should be there.
I don’t even think Ware makes it to 17 tbh
Mia at 15 looks like an intriguing match
Knicks have 49M they can easily trade. They can make any deal happen. Randle and Bojan.
They need a more durable center. They need another scorer that’s more efficient than Randle.
Trading for OG was the first time they stopped acting scared. Scared money don’t make money. They’ve been sitting on picks, they declined options they could have used in trades in past years. This is their window. If not now, never.
Why is PG13 the ideal guy for the Knicks. IMO he’s too old now. They need a younger player.
Knicks have a $2M team option buyout on Boj, which I see happening in order to sign others.