NBA free agency: Clippers announce Paul George is leaving for another team

The Los Angeles Clippers released a statement Sunday night announcing that Paul George has informed them that he will be playing for another team.

The team cited a “significant” gap in negotiations due to the failed talks with George.

The Clippers also noted that a trade scenario would not have made sense for the team.

The Clippers made the announcement shortly after NBA free agency negotiations opened Sunday night.

Paul George is reportedly heading to the Sixers

George, who opted out of his contract on Saturday and is now an unrestricted free agent, has reportedly agreed to sign a max contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.

At 34 years old, George is still a high-level two-way player. He averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 47.1% from the field and a career-high 41.3% from 3 last season . He made his ninth career All-Star team and, along with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, boosted Philadelphia’s chances of winning an NBA championship.

A new Clippers era ends without a title

The development marks the end of an era in Los Angeles and a failed attempt to build a championship team around George and Kawhi Leonard.

The Clippers traded for George in a blockbuster 2019 deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Los Angeles sent Oklahoma City a package that included five first-round draft picks, two pick swaps, Danilo Gallinari and — most notably — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has developed into a two-time First Team All-NBA selection and MVP finalist. The Thunder have developed into a championship contender with one of the league’s most promising rosters thanks in part to that deal.

The Clippers made the big move to acquire George after signing Leonard as a free agent. Leonard had just returned from leading the Toronto Raptors to an NBA championship and combined with George for one of the NBA’s most powerful one-two punches.

The Clippers were unable to convert the tandem into a championship battle. With both stars plagued by injuries, the Clippers never made it to the NBA Finals. Their best performance with George and Leonard saw the Clippers advance to the 2021 Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the Phoenix Suns.

The Clippers haven’t won a playoff series since. With Leonard sidelined with a torn ACL, they missed the 2022 playoffs. They’ve failed to advance past the first round in the past two seasons.

With George gone, the Clippers will have to rebuild the roster around Leonard and James Harden, who reportedly agreed to return to the Clippers on Sunday with a two-year, $70 million contract. The Clippers reportedly made a move later Sunday to fill the void on the wing with a three-year, $30 million deal with former Dallas Mavericks forward Derrick Jones Jr. They also reached a deal with Kevin Porter Jr., the former Houston Rockets guard who missed last NBA season after being charged with domestic abuse.

George’s departure puts a damper on the planned opening of the Intuit Dome next season. The Clippers are moving to their own arena in Inglewood after sharing a venue with the Lakers since moving to Los Angeles in 1984.