Wizards May Consider NBA Trade With Clippers For George With Good Assets
The Washington Wizards are aware that Bradley Beal trade rumors are unlikely to end this coming NBA season. Adding more flavor to that is that the 27-year-old recently purchased a posh mansion in Los Angeles.
Initially, most felt it was a (future) move associated with the recently crowned NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers. However, most may have forgotten that LA still has another team in the Clippers.
Most know that the Clippers are in a bit of a mess right now following the 2020 NBA Playoffs run. Despite leading the Denver Nuggets 3-1, the Clips still lost and failed to advance to the Western Conference Finals. Doc Rivers was dismissed and the team is now prowling for a new head coach. Tyronn Lue is believed to be in the lead. However, the Houston Rockets and the New Orleans Pelicans also have vested interest in the 43-year-old mentor.
Hence, any personnel movement on the Clippers end will have to wait. But looking at the player performances, one name that has been suggested as potential trade bait is Paul George. The 30-year-old hardly made an impact for Los Angeles with most feeling his duo with Kawhi Leonard will not work. Both play a similar position although Rivers tried to make it work.
Instead, the Clippers could be better off considering other options. Bradley Beal could be a wise target although it may take much to convince the Washington Wizards to agree to a deal. A fantasy trade involving George and Lou Williams was suggested by TV personality Renee Washington on the "Locked on Wizards" Podcast but she feels that this makes no sense.
Washington pointed out how the Wizards may not be interested in Williams despite being a three-time Sixth Man of the Year awardee. If the Clippers want to get it done, they need to dangle someone better. If not from their current players, future assets could be added to sweeten the deal.
As far as George, there is no question he will be linked to a potential deal. He does have a year remaining in his contract with the Clippers before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2022. This could be another factor to consider. Unless George finds a way to play better this coming NBA season, he is unlikely to return to the fold.
However, none of this will fly until the Clippers name their new head coach. Other than Lue, there has been no word on who will call the shots for the Clips this 2020-21 NBA season.