9-Time All-Star Deemed Offseason Trade Target for Knicks

Getty Paul George has been deemed a Knicks target.

Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers is viewed as a trade target for the New York Knicks, according to Dan Favale of Bleacher Report. A nine-time All-Star, George would give the Knicks another scorer and a high-level defender.

The soon-to-be 34-year-old has a player option for the 2024-25 season. Favale writes that a trade can be simplified by George opting in and orchestrating a move to the Knicks.

“The logistics of any trade should help, too. As a could-be free agent, George gets to dictate the terms of his exit from the Los Angeles Clippers—an exit that, for now, seems at least plausible given the absence of an extension,” Favale wrote in his April 19 column about one trade target for every NBA team this offseason. “And under those circumstances, the Knicks shouldn’t have to forfeit as many future draft picks as they normally would to snare a player of this caliber.

“PG can simplify matters by opting in and orchestrating a move to New York. A sign-and-trade would be more complicated, since it hard-caps the Knicks, but it’s hardly unworkable. While the math could get tight, the roster is stocked with the movable contracts to match George’s inbound money and then, if necessary, create the wiggle room under the hard cap required to Early-Bird-rights-it-up with Isaiah Hartenstein.”

Knicks Have Assets to Trade for a Superstar

The New York Knicks are well-positioned to make a move for a superstar player if one becomes available during the offseason. After making moves to bring in OG Anunoby, Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, and others, the Knicks didn’t trade any first-round picks in those deals.

With the offseason approaching, the Knicks have eight tradeable first-round picks.

In January of 2024, Fred Katz of The Athletic reported that the Knicks’ long-term plan was to add a star to the core. However, the Knicks didn’t expect a star to be available until the offseason.

“The long-term plan remains to add a star to the core that’s already present, but the organization still does not expect that star, whoever he may be, to become available until this summer at the earliest, league sources tell The Athletic.”

George is a superstar, averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists this season. He’s continued to be efficient, shooting 47.1% from the field and 41.3% from three-point range.

In his 13-year NBA career, the California native has been named to six All-NBA teams, four All-Defensive teams, and was the steal champion in 2018-19. George has been selected as an All-Star in every season that he’s played 54 or more games besides his first two seasons in the league.

CAA Represents George

George is represented by CAA, an agency with ties to the New York Knicks. Leon Rose, the New York Knicks president, ran the basketball branch of CAA before joining the organization.

Aaron Mintz, George’s agent, also represents Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Isaiah Hartenstein. Anunoby is represented by Sam Rose of CAA, son of the Knicks president. Head coach Tom Thibodeau is also represented by the agency.

The ties to CAA run deep for the Knicks and landing George would only strengthen that relationship.

Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
Heavy