The Warriors believed several times on Saturday that they were close to a deal to acquire Paul George from the Clippers, sources tell Tim Kawakami of The Athletic.
Kawakami hears that the teams were involved in “very serious negotiations” right up until the Saturday afternoon deadline for George to decide on his $48.8MM player option for next season. George ultimately declined the option, putting him out of the reach of Golden State, which doesn’t have any cap space to pursue him in free agency.
The Warriors had committed to giving George a four-year maximum-salary contract (ie. a three-year extension on top of his option year) if the deal had gone through, Kawakami adds. That was the main holdup with L.A., which has been unwilling to go beyond three total years in its talks with the 34-year-old forward.
There were several versions of a trade that the Clippers seemed willing to accept, Kawakami states, and Stephen Curry and Draymond Green both endorsed the idea of adding George.
George also provided “strong indications” that he wanted to be traded to the Warriors, according to Kawakami’s sources, but L.A. never gave final approval to the deal and George opted for free agency.
According to Kawakami, Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and a first-round pick were among the Warriors’ potential outgoing trade chips that came up in discussions. If the two sides had agreed to a deal, it would have included some – but not all – of those pieces.
It’s a potentially devastating outcome for Golden State because George would have been an ideal replacement for Klay Thompson, who appears likely to be headed elsewhere. Even though Thompson can’t start talking to rival teams for a few more hours, an NBA source tells Kawakami that he has already said goodbye to several high-ranking members of the front office.
People act like Thompson is good as gone but Lacob will offer him a contract that will be better than what he probably gets on the free market. klay will have a tough decision to make if he rather take less money to go some where else?
You have to understand that the Warriors have written off Klay thompson. He is not coming back under any circumstance.
He’s going to the Lakers for a lot less money to 1, go home and 2, play with LeBron/AD.
He’s not going to Dallas he’s not going to Philly and he’s not going to Orlando.
I still say there is a 50/50 chance he is back. Thompson wants to see what is out there and if the Warriors do a S/T contract to help him get more.
I agee with you arc89. Klay still trying to make Lacob do 3 yrs.
So when the Dubs offer him like 3/66 hes going to turn that down to take the Lakers TPMLE at 5.6M or something? Come on and on the flip he may want them to do a sign and trade, but I hate to break it to Klay but GSW is not taking back DLo so Klay can get some extra money. The only Lakers players they would want are the ones LA wont include. I dont take salary back in Klay leaving if it isnt LBJ/AD/AR the rest of the roster is shiet…
Its not just the Lakers though. What players on the Mavs does GSW want? Like this mirror world where GSW takes DAL worst contracts in a S&T to make it work best for Klay and DAL is never ever happening. This is true for almost every S&T team since GSW arent rebuilding and dont want cast offs back when the salary space gives them options. They also may not have much room since they may keep CP if he was really walking and are now hard capped at the second apron since they bought a pick in the draft.
Well now that a sign and trade is on the table, it could be Dallas? It could be Philly? Philly doesn’t have much to trade right now and they have cap room to sign him out right if George turns them down.
But yes unless the Lakers are offering Vanderbilt and Austin Reeves I don’t think the Warriors are helping Klay out with a sign and trade to the lakers. Good point.
I would take AD or even Reaves. They can take CP3 and Wiggins as well. :)
Sure CP and Klay for AD and Reaves that will happen I guarantee it!
If the Mavs offered Gafford or Washington plus maybe Exum you would probably take it. Maybe even Josh Green in the mix. Lakers would need to add Vanderbilt into the mix because neither Vincent or D’Lo would be worth it.
They dont want to basically trade Gafford and or Washington for the right to pay Klay a ton. They want to keep their core and add Klay without giving up anything they actually want, but that wont work. I doubt they want him bad enough to pay him a lot and liquidate real assets to get him. I mean Im sorry Klay your just not that good anymore…
Vando makes like no money and a S&T requires matching salary which is DLo or Rui neither of which GSW want.
Nobody wants D’Lo. Watch them offer their 1st round pick with Rui in a trade offer.
Even DLo knows nobody wants him its why he picked up his player option after a “good” season.
Dl is not the contract amount good but he is at least a 6th man in the NBA. He was signed because they could go over the cap to keep him.
Yeah I meant if teams wanted him as a what 28 year old he could have opted out and gotten more than 1/18, and the Warriors did that dance before and really really dont want him…
lakers would need to throw in their first round pick from this year to make sense in taking D’lo
Hey arc, have I been wrong the last couple of days regarding Klay Thompson sign and trade? Now I’m reading they CAN do something like that.
Is that true from what you know? I thought because they were up against the second apron they were not allowed to do so. What do you know? Or anyone?
Is it the receiving team that has to get under the cap like the Warriors had to with Kevin Durant sign and trade and Kevin Durant came TO the warriors?
Here Klay Thompson would be leaving the Warriors so it’s the other team that needs to get under the cap?
Taking back salary for a signed-and-traded player hard-caps a team at the second apron. But the Warriors will be hard-capped at the second apron in 2024/25 anyway because they’re sending out cash in their trade for Quinten Post. So yes, they could do a sign-and-trade where they take back salary for Klay.
Thank you for that information. Changes things quite a bit.
I need a capologist roommate, but thankfully Luke you are often quick to reply. No better website on the planet for this kind of thing.
One more quick question though. If the Warriors are hardcapped at the second apron, are they already there? So say it’s $180 million and that’s a hard cap, if they sign Klay for 25 million, trade him away and bring in 25 million, that would put them at 205? That’s over the hard cap? Does that mean the Warriors are currently at 155?
@Gary I believe the Warriors have something like $144MM committed to 10 players for 2024/25. That total doesn’t count Paul or Klay.
The second apron will be around $189.5MM, so it won’t be practical to take back equivalent salaries for BOTH CP3 ($30MM) and Klay (say, $20MMish) unless they cut costs elsewhere. But they have about $45MM in wiggle room (probably less once you account for filling out the remaining roster spots) to take back salary for at least one of them. If Paul is waived today, I’d say the odds of a Klay sign-and-trade increase, especially since the teams he seems most interested in (Lakers, Mavs) are over the cap.
Fantastic Luke, thank you for that very helpful explanation. Clears things up immensely.
Can’t wait to see how the day unfolds !!
A S&T hard caps the team at the first apron not the second. The HC at the second just happens if you do any of the things a second apron team is banned from doing. A S&T would HC the DAL/LA at the first apron and the Ws are already HC at the second.
The problem with a S&T is the Warriors wont want you DLo or your Maxi so what these teams are going to pay the Warriors something to get them to do it and pay the Pistons to eat the contracts the Warriors dont want? It all becomes impossible to find the perfect fit where everyone says yes
@ChapmansVaccum Acquiring a player via sign-and-trade hard-caps you at the first apron, yes. I was talking about sending out a player via sign-and-trade.
It’s certainly entirely possible that the Warriors won’t get a return they like in a Klay S&T and won’t sign off on it. But I definitely think there are scenarios with the Mavs that could work, and I wouldn’t rule out the Lakers either.
@Luke Adams
You can send one out and be over the second apron you just have to take back a single contract that is less than the outgoing for the S&T player.
Any scenario where he goes to either team in a trade for real players wouldnt work for DAL/LAL its a classic catch 22 where they want him but dont want to pay the real cost in dollars and players. They will move on to plan B and Klay will be left with teams like DET with room
@Chapman “You can send one out and be over the second apron you just have to take back a single contract that is less than the outgoing for the S&T player.” — This is technically possible for teams over the second apron, but only if you acquire the incoming player using a separate exception and don’t use the S&T player for matching purposes.
I mean second apron teams cant use any exceptions.
any team can sign and trade AWAY a player regardless of apron and hard caps. It’s taking a player IN that gets restrictive.
@jobbins There’s a new restriction in the CBA hard-capping a team at the second apron if it sends out a player via sign-and-trade and takes back salary for him.
It’s why a sign-and-trade involving George isn’t viewed as very plausible, since re-signing Harden and taking back $40MM+ in matching salaries in a George sign-and-trade would put the Clippers over the second apron.
Nope it HC a team if they aggregate salary in the returning contracts so a second apron team can send out multiple players but only receive one back and they can not make more than the outgoing salary or a second apron cap happens, but the S&T restrictions are on the team receiving the player only the team sending them out treats like any other trade and it can or not cap them.
@ChapmansVacuum There’s a second-apron restriction on sending out players via sign-and-trade as well. It’s new. Wasn’t really discussed much until the last few weeks. It’s mentioned in our apron glossary entry: link to hoopsrumors.com
I dont think thats correct. No other sites list a ban on sending out a S&T player, and your own explainer states they cant use traded player exceptions including from a S&T but it just says that you cant use TPE period. This wouldnt be that since the players are moving at the same time. Like the ringers description says limited S&T rules but not impossible.
By my reading you cant do the S&T with a 3rd team taking the salary you dont want in cap space and then turning the TPE into another player. I dont think it limits you from doing the trade if your end of it meets the 2nd apron requirements of not aggregating contracts and taking back equal or below money.
The NBA considers salary-matching to be using a “traded player exception” as well (it’s a simultaneous TPE rather than the non-simultaneous TPEs we typically refer to as trade exceptions).
I wasn’t sure about this either, but confirmed it with the league a few weeks ago.
As I said, it hasn’t been publicized much, but if you poke around you’ll find other mentions of it. Here’s a tweet from Eric Pincus mentioning it, for example: link to x.com
Also mentioned here in the right column by Bobby Marks: link to x.com
I was thinking of the Nuggets a S/T Klay for a S/T Pope.
Or if he wants to be on a better team where his role is more defined. He can defend bigger wings still. Also possible he wants a another shot at a ring with around 10-15 teams better suited for that.
It would be tough for the Clippers management team to trade a guy like Paul George to a close rival. I could see why they would not approve even if George and the Warriors were on board.
Still looks like Clippers 80% and sixers 20%. Unless of course the Clippers have now upset the man and he leaves just to spite them?
SoxxRedWarriorsGary you got it backwards 0 percent clippers 20 percent Orlando and 80 percent philly.
Yes those could be the new numbers for today after the Clippers pissed him off by rejecting a Warriors trade.
I mean it really comes down to him staying if LA maxes him and probably leaving if they dont
Would you approve for CP3, Wiggins, GP2, Moody and picks??
Yes I definitely would. Now they lose him for nothing.
From the Clippers Viewpoint you’re already tied into Kawhi Leonard for three more years. That aligns with Wiggins. You get a young guy in Moody plus a first round pick and CP3 is an expiring contract as is GP2.
According to reports Clippers insisted on Kuminga in any trade for PG and the warriors refused.
The DUBS just dodged a major bullet.
Can you imagine 4 years 50 plus million dollars a year for a guy who’s often injured? You could be right.
DUBS management might be in desperation mode, Podcast P isn’t even a stylistic fit.
Podcast P can score but he needs to hog the ball to get to his rhythm, get his shot off.
Like I said, they dodged a major bullet.
CP3 and picks for Zach LaVine is picking up steam on twitter/x, same people saying GSW were close on PG13…is LaVine a better option than PG13?
Would need to bring in a second team unless they take wiggins in the deal too and draft picks back to the warriors.
They were just toying with Clippers
If anything the Clippers were toying with the Warriors. The Clippers had the player the Warriors were clearly desperate to get and it was probably the only chance for the Warriors to make a deal using CP3.
Clippers wanted Kuminga not moody which is why it didn’t go through. Clippers figured o if we let go of PG we will ask for the moon and back. Can’t blame them for making the price a over pay.
Yeah, I’m only interested in trading Kuminga if it means Giannis is in the deal.
Maybe, but if they don’t do better next season and PG13 goes off, then they eat that bullet.
What the Warriors believed about how close they were on a PG deal and what the Clippers thought are probably quite different. As for Klay Thompson, it seems like things are aligning for him to be a Laker. He will have to take a big pay cut and sign for the MLE but he always wanted to play for the Lakers and it gives him a chance to stick it to the Warriors – which seems like something that would appeal to him given his bitter feelings about h0w things have gone down in the last year with the Warriors.
If Klay would be willing to take this pay cut, he would stay at Golden State lol
Agreed. Think I recall the Warriors saying they weren’t interested in moving any of Moody, Kuminga, Podziemski, or Jackson-Davies (although I’d have to imagine at least one of the first three had to be on the table since PG would take a rotation spot from one of them). But let’s assume all 4 were off the table…the Clippers know PG can’t sign with the Warriors unless he left a ton of money on the table and if PG’s sticking point was a four year deal over a three year deal, I can’t imagine a four year deal worth 1/10th of what he could actually make otherwise somehow gets the job done. Wouldn’t surprise me if PG expressed a desire to be traded there and the Warriors hoped they could strongarm the Clips into a favorable trade banking on the Clips wanting to get something for PG rather than him walking for nothing.
Moody was on the table but Clippers wanted Kuminga instead. Every team the warriors talk to want Kuminga knowing he will be a all star on high light films and draw fans.
GSW are wise to keep Kuminga and use him as a primary scorer, replacing Klay in that role. The way Kuminga drives to the bucket on any defender is so smooth and effortless, he has superstar potential. He is a viable scoring option for sure. Add Zach LaVine to Steph and Kuminga and we might be a contender again.
Blessing in disguise
I think that the fact that the Clippers didn’t pull the trigger on this trade shows that PG is likely going to Philly. The Clippers are thinking about money and seem to be looking to stay away from the escalating penalties. And as a Clippers fan, I think it’s time to move on. Paying him all that money until he is almost 40 would be incredibly foolish.
Stating that the Warriors wanted Paul George to “replace” Klay Thompson is incorrect. Klay lost his starting job in February of last year, and the organization determined that their young players were better than him. That’s why Klay wasn’t offered a contract.
Paul George was not replacing Klay Thompson, he was replacing the Warriors future.
This article misses the storyline, which is the push-pull between two opposing forces within the organization.
1) Steph and Draymond not only “endorse” such a trade, they’re pushing hard for it because they care only about the next 2 years.
2) Ownership likes the idea of Paul George, but not at a price that creates a last-place roster when Steph and Draymond are gone in 3 years, and they’re stuck paying 39 year old Paul George $55M at 39 years old.
Like @mike.honcho says,
At least they can tell Curry/Dray they were willing to pay $200m fot PG and tried their hardest for trade. :)
Its also just likely that the clips are calling PGs bluff. They know he doesnt want to move east and asked for the moon to make it work for one of the like 3 teams he actually would have been mostly happy with.
This will all look very stupid if he really does sign elsewhere since they will get literally nothing. The Ws probably kept the offer down because either PG is using leverage to force his way or they werent going to pay the price.
Also, GSW can make trades in-season, right? Like they did with GP2 when he signed with Portland.
Sure but you would be losing most of your matching salary for any deal if Klay and CP walk.
According to X we are trading Paul and picks for Zach LaVine, which is, intriguing….
It would be Paul and contracts for Lavine and picks. Nobody is paying the Bulls for Lavine they have to pay to get off him
They still wouldn’t have been in contention. PG isn’t that difference maker and they would have had to give up Kuminga and Moody.
I wouldn’t be shocked if he stayed in LAC or went to Orlando, both are no pressure situations. No one cares about the Clippers or Magic title contending each year. Philly is a pressure cooker, and PG13 probably doesn’t have the makeup for it.
Wow, so GSW’s window is still very open, huh? Kinda like what I said on here almost every post.
Whether you like it or not, GSW’s window is open as long as Curry is elite. He is still elite. He shows no signs of slowing down, its just about finding the right mix (better defense) around him. If that happens, so will a title.
It is not open…
It’s open as long as Curry is elite. Sorry but facts dont care about your feelings.
Hey Luke, if you’re still near the comment section: I’m curious to know if Warriors could do this under the currenr rules:
1. Sign and trade KLAY to either Lakers (for HACHIMURA) or Mavs (for WASHINGTON)
2. Trade WIGGINS and KUMINGA to Pelicans for INGRAM and MURPHY III.
Doesn’t it feel like Pelicans are poised to get in the trade market now that MURRAY is on board?
Skeptical that’s the sort of deal the Pelicans would make (they really like Murphy), but those two moves would technically be possible/legal from Golden State’s perspective if Paul is waived.
Luke if you are still near the comment section explain to David J that although curry currently considered elite da dubs window is unfortunately shut.
Easy pass on Ingram. Over priced player that plays only offense. For Rui Lakers would need to send their 1st round pick to be included in the deal plus a few 2nd round picks..
Yes it takes a special player for the Warriors to be interested. Brandon Ingram is not that guy and neither is Riu Hachimura. He’s a poor man’s Jonathan Kuminga. About the same player today but Kuminga has such a higher ceiling. They’re both athletic dunkers on the wing but Riu seems to have peaked.
I think Dud is correct though, and the Pelicans would love to trade away Brandon ingram.
CP3 and picks for Zach LaVine actually does make sense in that aspect. If youre going to get a no-defense guy it should be a SG, not a big like Ingram. Ingram would work best with Marcus Smart at the SG, pair those two and you are cooking.
Did you see some of the stat lines Hachimura put up when LeBron wasn’t in the lineup? Klay is beloved and may get his number retired one day at Chase Center, but right here and now I’d take Hachimura over Klay in a few heartbeats (really tough to think something out in ONE heartbeat).
I mean I doubt they take Rui, I doubt the Mavs want to include PJ, and I dont see a trade with those exact pieces working with the PELs since it just doesnt seem like it would be that clean. Pels only want to off BI and only if they get a player back that fits what they want.
Yeah, Pels are trying to deal Ingram right now.
Both Nance and Valenciunas are gone, which has to be addressed. Plus,
Pels have determined that Jones + MurphyIII will replace Ingram, and take his salary spot by beginning of next season, 2025-26, at latest.
Ingram has less value than people realize because his contract has only 1 more year and everybody knows there is no place for him on roster.
Why would the Pelicans give up Murphy III?
Makes no sense. NO is not giving up Murphy to help the Warriors. They will just extend Murphy and find someone else to take Ingram.
Crazy. No GM would do that trade from NOs perspective.
Maybe, the Warriors dont have great assets to trade and it is why they are stuck…
Don’t worry warriors are not trading Kuminga like NO is not trading Murphy. Warriors are not trading for Ingram.
Warriors tell Andrew Wiggins he can’t go play for Team Canada in the Olympics (while Kerr and Curry on Team USA) just so they can fail at trading him for Paul George.
Wiggins would have been a second generation Olympian for Canada.
Classless organization.
Have you ever watched Wiggins play? Calm down, you are overstating his middling talent.
Classless dig at a great organization.
Sure Wiggins can play for Team Canada if he wants. But then don’t come back expecting that contract to be valid. His choice.
So it’s not the organization, it’s Wiggins. He’s choosing money over playing for the Olympic team and who wouldn’t?
Your comment is classless.
The Warriors have stood behind and beside Andrew Wiggins time and time again in support of his situations. They didn’t cut him or wave him or nullify his contract. They said, “take your time whatever you need to do” and so did all his teammates.
Wiggins has proven that he puts himself first before the team. When the going gets tough Wiggins takes 2 months off. Great, the team was good with it not just once but twice.
Well now the team is protecting their interests first before his. Considering his track record it’s unquestionably a smart move.
Wait, does Wiggins have a clause restricting him from playing the Olympics?
If not the Warriors would be in breach if they voided his contract and get sued up the blank for a lot of freaking money. And Wiggins would just walk to another team and get paid again.
CF I think you’re correct on all that. My point is that the Warriors are not a classless organization preventing him from playing.
Perfect solution Toronto trades for Wiggins. Trade Bruce Brown for Wiggins. Now Canada has their man. Oh wait you ONLY think warriors should take a chance on a player that is injured a lot the last 2 years but not the Raptors? Now what do you say about that?
NBA teams arent allowed to ban there players from international competition so they convinced Wiggins to not do it. He could have just said no and played for Canada if he really wanted to.