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Threats to the OKC Thunder: A guide to Paul George’s offseason

By Stephen Dolan

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 25: Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder talks with media after the game against the Utah Jazz in Game Five of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 25: Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder talks with media after the game against the Utah Jazz in Game Five of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The day of reckoning has come, and the offseason of Paul George is upon us. Here are the top options for which jersey PG will wear next season.

It’s Day 45 of the offseason for Thunder fans. Supplies are getting low. Morale, too, is low, but is improving since the NBA Finals ended and we are no longer forced to watch Kevin Durant fly away with the last of our food. There’s so little Thunder news to subsist on these days, and the deadline for Paul George’s player option is still 18 days away.

We might not last until the start of Free Agency. We might not even last until the NBA Draft on June 21, when we may only get two small second-round picks to chew on. Time’s running out, and we’re afraid. Paul George is in a boat sailing by, and we’re not sure if he will see our flares and rescue us or sail away over the horizon. Send good news. Send help.

The time has come

In case you didn’t know, Paul George is about to become a Free Agent (probably). He does have a $20.7 million player option that can be exercised until June 29, but considering he can receive around $30 millon on his next contract, that seems like a pipe dream.

The truth is, Sam Presti and the OKC Thunder knew this day was coming. They knew it before they agreed to the trade, and they’ve never stopped knowing it. The acquisition of Paul George in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis always had an impending pivot point, and that point is fast approaching.

With that in mind, let’s explore Paul George’s potential destinations in this upcoming offseason.

Bovada has released odds on his choice, with the OKC Thunder in second, trailing the LA Lakers. Take those odds with a grain of salt, though. They’re constructed to generate bets, not to predict an outcome. Why, just 11 months ago, Vegas made the Indiana Pacers the favorite. The OKC Thunder did not receive odds.

Some of the teams with odds (the Pacers) just don’t make any sense. Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard recently made comments that would indicate a lack of interest toward George. Additionally, there is one team in particular (the Houston Rockets), who always have their hand in the cookie jar.

So, where will Paul George play basketball next season? Here are the top five options.

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