A surprise team has jumped into the Paul George sweepstakes.
With rumors swirling around the nine-time NBA All-Star, oddsmakers have pegged the Golden State Warriors (+400) as the co-favorites for George this summer should he leave.
The Los Angles Clippers still are the favorites at -200 odds at DraftKings, but George can become a free agent by rejecting his player option worth $48.8 million.
The Warriors are said to be going big game hunting as they try to extend their championship window around Steph Curry, and there appears to be some smoke between the team and George.
Golden State’s entrance into the George sweepstakes is alongside the Philadelphia 76ers, who also have +400 odds.
| Paul George next team odds |
|---|
| Los Angeles Clippers -200 |
| Golden State Warriors +400 |
| Philadelphia 76ers +400 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder +800 |
| Houston Rockets 10/1 |
| Orlando Magic 12/1 |
Earlier this week, ESPN’s NBA insider Brian Windhorst said the Clippers could trade star George by “this weekend,” as his June 29 opt-in deadline nears.
Windhorst followed Wednesday before the first round of the NBA Draft, stating that the Warriors “would like to be an option for [George]” should he want to leave the Clippers.
The Clippers and George have hit a stalemate in their contract extension negotiations in recent weeks, leaving the 14-year NBA veteran’s future in Los Angeles up in the air.
George has a $48.8 million player option for next season, the last year of a four-year extension he signed with the Clippers in 2020 worth up to $190 million.
If he truly wants to leave LA, George could opt-in and request a trade or decide to test free agency.
The 76ers (+400) are also expected to be in the mix, although there were some reports that specualted that they had soured on the idea of bringing him in.
Philadelphia has roughly $65 million in cap space that George could easily slide into with a max contract, teaming up with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
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Two more teams – the Thunder (+800) and Rockets (+1000) – also have odds at 10/1 or higher.
Both teams are armed with enough cap space to add a star-level player like George, if he prefers to join a young team on the precipice of contention.