Paul George Next Team Odds Paint Clear Picture for Offseason Landing Spot
By Cem Yolbulan
The biggest free-agency prize in the NBA this offseason is Paul George. Considered the best free agent who could realistically change teams this summer, George has been linked to a few teams with cap space including the Philadelphia 76ers and the Orlando Magic.
The latest reporting suggests that the Clippers were unwilling to give George the maximum contract that they could. The 34-year-old forward is eligible to sign a four-year, $221.1 million extension, but the Clippers are reportedly offering him what they gave Kawhi Leonard: a three-year, $153 million extension.
This increased the speculation that George may be headed elsewhere in the summer. However, DraftKings Sportsbook's odds for Paul George's next team suggest that the nine-time All-Star is likely to return to Los Angeles.
Paul George Next Team Odds
Team | Odds | Implied Probability |
|---|---|---|
Los Angeles Clippers | -240 | 70.6% |
Philadelphia 76ers | +280 | 26.3% |
Orlando Magic | +1200 | 7.7% |
New York Knicks | +1500 | 6.3% |
Los Angeles Lakers | +1500 | 6.3% |
The Clippers lead the pack at -240 odds, followed by the Sixers (+280) and the Magic. (+1200). You'll notice the implied probabilities add up to over 100% — this is because of the cut the sportsbooks take, but it's still a pretty effective way to compare the differences in the likelihoods.
This is an excellent sign for Clippers fans. They may not have found the success they had hoped for with the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George pairing but the Clippers don't have a way to replace PG13. Even if he were to leave in free agency, that doesn't open up enough cap space for Los Angeles to sign someone else of that caliber.
Therefore, the Clippers need George to stay if they want to continue to be competitive. And they don't have a choice but to try to be competitive when they have Kawhi Leonard and presumably James Harden (who is also a free agent) on their roster.
Moreover, the Clippers are moving to their own arena for the 2024-25 season. For the first time in franchise history, the Clippers will not be sharing an arena with the Lakers. Owner Steve Ballmer is very excited about the potential of the new arena and what it means for the future of the franchise. He will be willing to break the bank and pay whatever luxury tax is needed to field a good team there next season.
With that goal in mind, they must re-sign George by all means necessary and the oddsmakers seem to be aware of that.
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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.