Fans of the Los Angeles Lakers were excited when Paul George was included in the free agency pool back in 2017. Admittedly, they are rooting for "PG-13" to join the roster and play for his hometown. This came before LeBron James donned the Purple and Gold; George was a perennial MVP candidate and despite his horrific injury, came back with a vengeance. Together with Russell Westbrook, they form a dynamic duo and helped propel Oklahoma City to become one of NBA's explosive teams.
What made the Paul George issue a bitter pill to swallow for Lakers fans, as well as the franchise's front office, is the fact that they thought it was a sure bet. George was, after all, a South Carolina native. He grew up in Palmdale, California, played for Knight High School and went to Fresno State. In short, was meant to play for the Lakers. But then again, he re-signed with the Thunder. What could have been a tandem of LeBron James and Paul George immediately went down the drain?
Still, the Lakers moved on. LeBron signed with the team but unfortunately, will miss the playoffs for the first time in 13 postseason appearances. No one's pointing any fingers, but the fact that they almost signed a six-time All-Star still haunts them. Sources are now pointing that former LA Lakers Corey Brewer may have something to do with George's decision to stay with the Thunder.
ESPN's Dave McMenamin wrote that George "never gave the Lakers an opportunity to shoot their shot". This means that George didn't even bother to meet with Lakers President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson, but he had a lot of information on how Lakers front office worked. This is where Corey Brewer comes. The swingman played 78 games with the Lakers after being waived by LA midway through the 2017-2018 season. Brewer then signed with Oklahoma where he played with George. There, McMenamin said that Brewer "divulged his Lakers experience."
What Brewer said to George might never be disclosed, but as Lakers Nation has it, it wasn't enough to convince George to sign with the Lakers. In the process, George simply signed with the Thunder without meeting with any team. The Lakers are just any other team in the NBA: there will be conflicts considering the number of personalities that are involved. What's intriguing is Brewer's stand on his experience with the Lakers, and the impact it made to George's decision. As for LA, they will just have to start from scratch this summer, center on their youth and leave the past behind.
