George: Interest in Lakers is 'overstated,' open to staying with Thunder - Interview w Lee Jenkins, Sports Illustrated

[mjba]

Per Lee Jenkins at SI:

https://www.si.com/nba/2017/07/11/paul-george-thunder-trade-kevin-durant-lakers-pacers-russell-westbrook?utm_campaign=thecrossover&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&xid=socialflow_twitter_si

“I grew up a Lakers and a Clippers fan,” George says. “I idolized Kobe. There will always be a tie here, a connection here. People saying I want to come here, who doesn’t want to play for their hometown? That’s a dream come true, if you’re a kid growing up on the outskirts of L.A., to be the man in your city. But it’s definitely been overstated. For me, it’s all about winning. I want to be in a good system, a good team. I want a shot to win it. I’m not a stats guy. I’m playing this game to win and build a legacy of winning. I’ve yet to do that. I’m searching for it. If we get a killer season in Oklahoma, we make the conference finals or upset the Warriors or do something crazy, I’d be dumb to want to leave that.”

George will get four eyefuls this season of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and the young Lakers. Superficial measurements will matter far less than max slots and won-loss records. “It’s too early for L.A.,” he says. “It would have to be a situation where the ball gets rolling and guys are hopping on. This guy commits, that guy commits. ‘Oh s---, now there’s a team forming.’ It has to be like that.” But the same is true for virtually every locale outside of Oakland. “I’m in OKC, so hopefully me and Russ do a good enough job and make it to the conference finals and love the situation, why not recruit someone to come build it with us? I’m open in this whole process.”

[LakersSoul]

Smoke or real talk?

Straight from the horse mouth. We'd better hope that OKC fails to beat GSW and the connection between PG and Westbrook is off or we could be in trouble in summer of 2018.

[mjba]

Another interesting tidbit is that PG is bffs w Reggie Jackson, who I recall reading had a difficult relationship w Westbrook - not sure if this is actually true?

edit:

yeah okay, definitely a problem there:

after Jackson celebrated on court before the end of a pistons win against OKC

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[GaryDags]

I think this is the reason some fans wanted to trade for him instead of waiting for 2018. Either way, having $60 M in cap space next year will be a huge advantage for the Lakers. If the Lakers can't land one or two stars next off-season then it is back to the basics of an organic rebuild. Only next summer our team we be a little better with some internal maturation and armed with cap space to buy assets (via one year expiring contracts) and / or taking on contracts like next year's KCP type situations.

[Hunter103]

Smoke or real talk?

Straight from the horse mouth. We'd better hope that OKC fails to beat GSW and the connection between PG and Westbrook is off or we could be in trouble in summer of 2018.

Well he ain't gonna say "I hate this team I hate this town I wanna mooooooooove come July I'm out". And if they sniff a ring of course he's gonna want to stay.

[mjba]

I think this is the reason some fans wanted to trade for him instead of waiting for 2018. Either way, having $60 M in cap space next year will be a huge advantage for the Lakers. If the Lakers can't land one or two stars next off-season then it is back to the basics of an organic rebuild. Only next summer our team we be a little better with some internal maturation and armed with cap space to buy assets (via one year expiring contracts) and / or taking on contracts like next year's KCP type situations.

i think given what he said about winning, and specifically the Lakers' current situation, we're better off not having him this year. we would be v unlikely to make the playoffs, imo, even with PG.

[Slava]

I'll give him half a season with a 40% usage Westbrook before he feigns a knee injury and is on the first flight to LA.

Even if all goes well, they are not beating the Rockets let alone Golden State.

[Lost Angel]

we need to strike fast in next years free agency.

We should go after Cousins, and if we land him, it'll be easier to get PG.

I don't think Westbrook or Lebron leave their respective teams.

[GaryDags]

I agree and will celebrate if he joins the Lakers next off-season but won't be heart broken if he doesn't. I am feeling better and better about our team. The ball movement in summer league leads to increased optimism for next season. I am hoping we get KCP on a one year deal OR we take on an expiring contract and a 1st round pick OR dump Deng by taking on expiring contracts using some of our 2017 cap space ($18 M + up to $16 M) while sending out the two second round picks and maybe our 2020 FRP.

I think this is the reason some fans wanted to trade for him instead of waiting for 2018. Either way, having $60 M in cap space next year will be a huge advantage for the Lakers. If the Lakers can't land one or two stars next off-season then it is back to the basics of an organic rebuild. Only next summer our team we be a little better with some internal maturation and armed with cap space to buy assets (via one year expiring contracts) and / or taking on contracts like next year's KCP type situations.

i think given what he said about winning, and specifically the Lakers' current situation, we're better off not having him this year. we would be v unlikely to make the playoffs, imo, even with PG.

[dockingsched]

This is why fans were relieved he didn't get traded to Boston or Cleveland.

[TylersLakers]

The way the Lakers front office has operated, they better land 2 max guys who are worth it and it has to be some combination of George, Westbrook or James.

I'm glad we didn't trade for him and give up assets. Because if we traded for him, the possibility of him leaving if we don't get another big time commitment or if we have a below average season in a tough Western Conference would loom large and haunt us for years to come if he didn't re-sign.

We'll see.

[Slava]

Now all we need is for Westbrook to turn down an extension offer before the whole league starts panicking.

[truehype]

Another reason why I feel like we could of waited on pulling the trigger in the Dlo trade.
Stars are not guaranteed to sign in LA. We might have to grow our team organically, that's why you do not trade a young second overall pick in a salary dump . i heard Magic again saying he thinks Dlo will become a great player in one of the summer league games. When I heard that Paul George got traded to OKC I automatically hated it for the Lakers, could easily see him and Westbrook forming a friendship and commit to winning there.

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[GaryDags]

Westbrook turns down the extension, then OKC trades him to Boston or will they let him play the season out?

If WB is traded then George will be traded as well; maybe even to the Lakers. My theory was that Presti wanted to dump Oladipo in case WB left / won't sign the extension. Presti get Oladipo's massive contract off the books for an expiring contract.

Presti will probably get more value at the deadline as well.

Now all we need is for Westbrook to turn down an extension offer before the whole league starts panicking.

[Slava]

Westbrook turns down the extension, then OKC trades him to Boston or will they let him play the season out?

If WB is traded then George will be traded as well; maybe even to the Lakers. My theory was that Presti wanted to dump Oladipo in case WB left / won't sign the extension. Presti get Oladipo's massive contract off the books for an expiring contract.

Presti will probably get more value at the deadline as well.

Now all we need is for Westbrook to turn down an extension offer before the whole league starts panicking.

Yeah things could be pretty testy for Presti by all star break and the Kevin Durant experience is surely going to come into play as well.

[Jedi32]

Seems like damage control honestly. This could have came out when his agent was telling everyone he was a rental. He admitted the interest is there, but he can't just come out and say no matter what the Thunder do this year I am going to LA next year. He'd get ripped to shreds by the media and fans. The haul that the pacers got back for him, the d lo trade and the celtics not even making a legit offer let's me know his agent let everyone know he's heading to LA next year no matter what. This is typical PR lip service.

[Mirjalovic]

good things to say.

[RingsDontLie]

Doubt they get to the conference finals, but would be lying if I didn't want to see it happen...KD against his old team with PG in the WCF.

[kobe808lak]

I think they win 1 series but that's it. They don't have much around Westbrook and Paul.

[iamworthy]

I'd imagine some of his decision will depend on how good lonzo and Ingram looks and who's coming with him to Los Angeles. By no means do I think PG coming to LA is a slam dunk.