This offseason was one that everyone thought that Paul George was going to follow LeBron James to the Lakers. But that trade to the OKC Thunder was the only thing that stopped George from suiting up tonight with the Lakers against the Trailblazers.
Paul George who was born in Palmdale, California all throughout his life talked about how bad he wanted to become a Laker. In an interview with ESPN's The Undefeated, George revealed how close he was joining the Lakers.
"It was 50-50 on deciding whether I wanted to come back home or if it was smarter to be in the situation I am in now," he said. "But it wasn't overstated. I wanted to play in L.A. That is where I wanted to go. Had that trade never went down, had I played one more year in Indy, I would have been in a Lakers uniform."
Paul George announced his decision this summer doing a three part series on where he will go, along with a big party that Russell Westbrook threw for him where he said he was staying.
Painful to hear for Lakers fans to hear that Paul George could have paired up with LeBron if he was never traded to OKC. But in the long run, this could be a lot better for both teams.
For the Lakers, this leaves them with a max contract spot for next summer where free agents like Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, and Klay Thompson will be available. For the Thunder, they are able to compete right away in the west with a core of Westbrook, George, and Adams.
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