Outside of LeBron James (who still needs to decline his player option for next season), the biggest name on the NBA’s free agent market this summer is going to be Oklahoma City wing Paul George. Whether he stays with the Thunder or heads elsewhere — namely the long-rumored destination of Los Angeles — remains to be seen, but George is a superstar, so his decision is the type of thing that will have waves across the NBA.
Recent reports indicate the Thunder feel good about George returning, although we won’t know where his head’s at until he actually makes his announcement. One thing is for sure: George was not a fan of how his first (and, maybe, only) season ended in Oklahoma City.
During the first part of his three-part ESPN miniseries about his decision, George revealed that he wasn’t happy that the Thunder were bounced in the first round of the postseason by the Utah Jazz.
“Here they have made a huge risk in trading for me, knowing I have one year on my deal,” George said, according to International Business Times. “But I felt I didn’t finish as strong as I could have. Just knowing you left something on the table, even to this point now, it weighs on me.”
This might not mean much at the end of his free agency journey (i.e. he leaves Oklahoma City, anyway), but in the event George returns to the Thunder, it’s apparent one of his big reasons for that decision would be the fact that he feels like he has unfinished business with the organization.
(Via IB Times)
