Paul George was not supposed to go to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he certainly was not supposed to stay in Oklahoma City after the Thunder traded for him.
Paul George announced his intent to re-sign at a party hosted by his teammate Russell Westbrook.
Leonard was close to a new $20 million shoe deal four months ago, but the belief is that he could earn much more in a bigger media market than San Antonio, and could earn most of all by being in LA.
The deal he signed is four years, but three of those years are guaranteed with the fourth one being a play option. Barring an extension, which is possible, he could exercise his option to become a free agent again in the summer of 2021 - and even then he'll just be 31. As free agency approached, it seemed more likely as the days went on that George would stay with the Thunder, however it was still a shock to the National Basketball Association.
According to a report from ESPN's Royce Young, George is flying into Oklahoma City on Saturday afternoon. Given the savings the Thunder would get from doing so, it also could put them in a position to retain free agent forward Jerami Grant, and potentially add another helpful piece in free agency. Still, Lakers fans will appreciate all he does if he wins them a championship and rights a ship that has been running with leaks in it since Phil Jackson retired as coach after the 2010-11 season.
Iran lists demands for improving relations with US
Nevertheless, Iran hopes that Europe will be able to meet it halfway, and Tehran will not have to quit the deal, he stressed. Zarif presented a short list of the rightful demands of the Iranian people from the U.S. government.
By sticking around, though, George ensured the Thunder will remain relevant for the foreseeable future.
From the time Paul George broke out as an NBA All-Star with the Pacers, it was essentially assumed that he would join his hometown Lakers when free agency came along.
The Thunder seem to have a good team chemistry since Paul George made a decision to stay instead of going to the Los Angeles Lakers, which was what he originally intended for the 2018 offseason. The announcement was a big surprise to many who thought, from the moment George was traded from IN to OKC last June, would sign with the Lakers this summer.
Lance Stephenson is joining LeBron James in Los Angeles. It's a one-year rental. While there was a ton of speculation about George heading home to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, Magic Johnson and company dodged a bullet by not bringing PG to LA. The Black Mamba also offered a "well done!" to the Lakers' front office, including Johnson, who took over previous year as president of basketball operations and had recently said he should be fired if he didn't land the team a superstar or two over the next couple of summers.
