LeBron James is likely to leave the Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason following a miserable postseason run. Paul George, an All-Star forward for the Los Angeles Clippers, may be the ideal candidate to take over in that role if this occurs.
When the Indiana Pacers chose George with the tenth choice in the 2010 NBA Draft, he began to make ripples in the league. The gifted wing became known as the franchise player in the next years as he guided the team to consecutive postseason trips, even making it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014.
In order to play with point guard Russell Westbrook, the All-Star forward was later moved to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017. However, after just their second season together, they reached their ceiling. In 2019, he was moved once more, this time to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for a deal that included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who would go on to win the MVP award.
However, his time in L.A. playing with Kawhi Leonard has never materialized in any playoff success. After three seasons with the team, George has the freedom to opt out of his contract and become a free agent this year. If he does so, expect a number of teams to go after the All-Star forward.
Los Angeles Clippers’ Paul George Seen as LeBron James’ Replacement in Free Agency
Along with George, LeBron James also has a choice to opt out of the final year of his contract. As it stands, George may be the ideal replacement for the King if he leaves the Lakers, as explained by Chris Herring’s article for ESPN.
“If the Lakers lose James, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them move extremely quickly to hold things together. The clearest way to do so would be maxing out George, who, even at 34, still stands out as one of the NBA’s best two-way players. At three deflections per game on defense, he ranked among the league’s top 10 in that regard, while also logging a career-best mark from three-point range at 41.3% on nearly eight tries per game,” Herring wrote.
It should be noted that George is younger than James and can still play at a high level for the Purple and Gold. If given a larger role with the Lakers, there’s a good chance he can produce consistent results on a nightly basis.
It remains to be seen where George will land when free agency begins. If he does end up with the Lakers, he’ll have a better situation than the one he has with the Clippers.