Since the beginning of the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have operated under the notion that Paul George might simply be on loan for the year. That was a chance they were willing to take last summer when they traded what they believed at the time to be spare parts (Hi, Victor Oladipo) in hopes they could convince George to eschew his dream of playing for his hometown Lakers and sign with OKC for the long-term.
A big part of their pitch was always going to be a certain degree of postseason success (remember when Russell Westbrook pointed to an NBA title as the only pitch he’d need?). But now after a quick first-round exit, his future with the Thunder has never been more uncertain.
He was understandably circumspect about it during his press conference after their Game 6 loss and again during his exit interview, but according to a new report, the All-Star forward is already out the door.
Via Ryen Russillo of ESPN’s The Russillo Show:
“Westbrook has to change and I don’t think he can. You can hire ten coaches for the next ten years. He’s not going to listen to any of them. The teammates can’t stand it. Today is the first time I’ve heard from anybody that I trust that George is gone. So I’m sharing that now.”
Westbrook has become something of straw man in these debates, especially in light of Oladipo’s emergence in Indiana this season. And though Russ took an astounding 46 shots in their Game 6 loss, George bears plenty of responsibility for failing to assert himself in the later games of that series, despite the self-proclaimed birth of “Playoff P” in their opening salvo against the Jazz.
Still, anything can happen, and though free agency doesn’t officially start until July 1, it’s a safe bet that all the teams vying for his services — his hometown Lakers chief among them — are already lining up their ducks in order to make the most attractive pitch possible.
(Via ESPN)
