Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

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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Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are the team to beat, plain and simple. They’ve been the favorite ever since Paul George made them so prior to his departure from Indiana. He grew up in Los Angeles (Although he was a Clippers fan, for some inexplicable reason). He went out of his way to inform the Pacers that he would be leaving, giving them an opportunity to get something in return that Thunder fans wish they had gotten from Durant. And, the Lakers were even fined $500,000 for tampering with Mr. George.

This is a case of “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” only Thunder fans can legitimately see the fire licking their toes already.

The players and sense

The only way Paul George fits with the Lakers is if LeBron James joins him there. LeBron could call PG tomorrow and say, “Hey, let’s go to LA,” and PG would nod his head enthusiastically, stand up and leap about the room with joy, and then remember that it was a phone call and say “yes.”

And, really, who could blame him? If the best player in the world wants to join up with you in your own hometown, for the most iconic team in the league (sorry, Celtics), who among us would say no? They’d be a great team, and they’d have plenty of assets like Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Julius Randle, and Isaiah Thomas (lol just kidding, he’d be so gone) to trade for more championship-ready players.

The only real advantage the Thunder have over the Lakers is the fact that, once you get past Westbrook/James and George, the Thunder have Steven Adams. Adams is better than whoever the Lakers’ third guy would be.

The dollars and cents

Oh, did I say that Steven Adams is the Thunder’s only real advantage over the Lakers? I must have mis-typed, because OKC has one other major advantage: cold, hard cash.

While the Lakers are undoubtedly in the better situation if LeBron joins him there, financially, of any team in the league, the Thunder are in the best situation with Paul George.

Due to careful planning for this and next summer, the Lakers are the only team that currently is able to out-right recruit two max-level free agents this offseason. The salaries signed during the cap spike (sorry to bring that up) combined with the lack of increase this season have made the Lakers and the Sixers basically the only competitive teams with any cap space.

The Thunder, though, have the unique ability to offer PG a five-year contract worth an average of about $35 million per year. The Lakers would only be able to offer about $32 million per season for four years. So, in order to join the Lakers, Paul George would have to give up over $10 million in the first four years, and then whatever the difference is between his $39 million fifth year with OKC and what he’d get on the open market at 33 years-old.

That’s a lot to sacrifice, even to go back home to play with LeBron.

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