Paul George made one of the most surprising decisions in this summer’s free agency when he opted to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He even refused to meet with other NBA teams including the Los Angeles Lakers, his hometown team and presumed favorite to sign him.

Now, speaking on the Short Story Long podcast, the 28-year-old All-Star decided to explain the reasons for refusing a meeting with the Lakers.

“L.A. was pissed at me” – said George. “I didn’t give Magic [Johnson] a meeting, which I understand. But at that point, I knew I wanted to give it another shot [in Oklahoma City]. I didn’t want to prolong it and waste people’s time.“

According to Paul George, he saw more positives than negatives in his single season with Thunder and decided it was worth sticking around.

“Coming down to free agency, I didn’t want to waste any time,” – he added. “I wanted to give it another shot. I gave them one year. We played well against the best teams. I wanted to give it a real shot.“

In the summer of 2017, Paul George informed his Indiana Pacers that he won’t resign with the team and that he prefers a move to the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite his desire, Thunder decided to take a gamble and send Victor Oladipo and Domantis Sabonis to Pacers in exchange for George.

OKC showed flashes of being a great team in the last season, but the team didn’t end the year on a high note, losing to the Utah Jazz in six games in the first round of the NBA playoffs. After this, many people thought that Thunder’s chances to re-sign Paul George went from slim to none after this, but he managed to surprise them all.

In the past season, George averaged 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists per game.

The post Paul George on Not Meeting with Lakers: “I Didn’t Want to Prolong It” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

In one of the most surprising moves this NBA offseason, Paul George decided to turn down the opportunity to play in his hometown of Los Angeles. Instead, the 28-year-old All-Star agreed to prolong his stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder, signing a four-year deal with the team.

Now, while attending USA Basketball’s minicamp, PG13 decided to explain his decision to stay with the OKC. George said that although he wanted to get back home, he loved the situation in Oklahoma and decided to “around a little longer.”

“It was absolutely tempting,” – said George about the opportunity to join LA Lakers. “Honestly, I wanted to come back home. But again, I got traded to Oklahoma. Loved the situation. Loved where I was at. I decided to stick around a little longer.“

“I just wanted my free agency to be over with. In my heart, I felt great about Oklahoma and I wasn’t going to prolong it if I felt good about it already.” – he added.

Before entering the final year of his contract with the Indiana Pacers, Paul George decided to tell the organization that he doesn’t intend to sign the extension and would prefer to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Still, Lakers opted against trading for George, thinking they will get him for free in the summer of 2018. Knowing this, Thunder decided to make a gamble and trade for him regardless. The risk ended up paying off, and George remained in Oklahoma without even giving Lakers a meeting with him.

Although Paul George put up significant numbers in the past season – 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists per game – Oklahoma City Thunder underachieved and ended up being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. George is well aware of this and intends to make a better impression in the next season.

“I felt when it came down to it and all the factors that played into it, deep down there was a nasty taste where we finished,” – he said. “I just felt I had more to offer. I had more to give. I just felt about where we were as a whole.”

The post Paul George Explains His Decision to Stay in OKC appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Paul George will snub the bright lights of his hometown Los Angeles and try to build on his partnership with Russell Westbrook. It was revealed by multiple sources, including Yahoo Sports and ESPN, that George has agreed to sign a four-year, $137 million deal which will keep him with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Paul George has committed to sign a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, league sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2018

On Saturday night, Thunder organized a huge party and brought Paul George in, hoping to get a long-term commitment from him. They did so, with George taking the mic at one point and saying: “If y’all didn’t quite get it, let me say it again. I’m here to stay.”

You heard it here first. pic.twitter.com/jN6gBn6j1Z

— Gabe Ikard (@GabeIkard) July 1, 2018

This was rather a surprising decision for the majority of the NBA. Little over a year ago, Paul George informed Indiana Pacers that he intends to leave the organization in 2018 and sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. Knowing his wish to sign with the Lakers, teams were reluctant to give up many assets to acquire him, thinking he would be a one-year rental. Thunder, however, decided to take a gamble and sent Victor Oladipo and Domantis Sabonis to Indiana in return for George.

Unfortunately for OKC, their pitch to Paul George took a hit, since the team struggled throughout the season and were eliminated in the first round of playoffs by Utah Jazz. Still, George spoke positively about the organization the whole year, and in the recent weeks, there was a growing sense he might stay in Oklahoma, which ended up happening. Sources close to the situation said that friendship he developed with Russell Westbrook in the past year was a big factor for George in making his decision.

Surprisingly, Los Angeles Lakers didn’t even manage to get a meeting with the player. Still, it is hard to imagine they will be sad for too long since they have managed to sign LeBron James a day later.

The post Paul George to Stay with OKC, Signs 4-Year/$137 Million Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Oklahoma City Thunder’s forward Paul George is one of the biggest NBA stars to enter the free agency this offseason. Now, even before Thunder’s general manager Sam Presti managed to get him in Oklahoma City, it looked like George’s destination for the 2018-19 season is all set. His hometown of Los Angeles.

This became even more apparent when the Thunder performed below expectations in the past season and was eliminated in the first round of playoffs by Utah Jazz team whose biggest star was a rookie.

But, wait a second. Thunder fans, don’t burn your PG13 jerseys just yet. It looks like Paul George might end up staying in Oklahoma City after all. According to The New York Times, there is a “growing belief around the league” that George might be playing in the same jersey next season as well.

“There is a growing belief around the league that Oklahoma City has a far better chance to retain the free-agent-to-be Paul George than many believed when the Thunder crashed out of the first round of the playoffs.” – wrote Stein in his New York Times newsletter on Tuesday.

This might not be a so farfetched, considering the fact that Oklahoma City Thunder can offer Paul George the most money. Thunder holds his Bird rights and can offer him five-year, $175.7 million contract while other teams can offer him four-year, $130.3 million deal. Besides this, it looks like George developed a good relationship with Thunder’s biggest star Russell Westbrook and also enjoys life in Oklahoma City.

With Thunder, Paul George would certainly have a better chance to compete for a championship than if he decides to go home and play for the Los Angeles Lakers. His decision might also depend on the move that LeBron James makes. With James and George, Lakers would immediately be an NBA championship contender. But if James decides to go elsewhere, George would be a lot further from the title than he is now.

Besides Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers, other team’s that are in the mix to land Paul George are Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets.

The post “Growing Belief around the League” that Paul George Will Stay with Oklahoma City Thunder appeared first on SportzBonanza.

On Thursday, Los Angeles Lakers received a $500K fine from the NBA after Lakers’ GM Rob Pelinka violated league’s anti-tampering rule and contacted the agent of Paul George. This has been confirmed by the Lakers themselves, with Pelinka and the team’s outside counsel, Adam Streisand giving their official statements about the matter.

“We respect and accept the NBA’s decision regarding this matter. On behalf of the Los Angeles Lakers, I want to express our regret over this unfortunate incident to both our fans and the NBA.“- said Pelinka.

“The Lakers organization is pleased that this thorough investigation has been brought to a close – and we can assure the fans that the Lakers will be hyper-vigilant going forward to make sure this is never an issue again.” – added Streisand.

The investigation showed that Pelinka contacted George’s agent which “constituted a prohibited expression of interest in the player while he was under contract“. The contact was made after the Lakers were previously warned about their actions.

More than a week ago, NBA officially began an investigation following the alleged tampering of Paul George by the Lakers. The investigation was a result of tampering charges filed by Pacers against the Lakers. Although Los Angeles Lakers were quick to deny the accusations, it looks like they were definitely trying to get George to LA by using dirty tactics. The fine of $500K is really nothing compared to other possible sanctions Lakers could have faced, including suspensions, draft picks losses and being unable to sign Paul George in the future.

Having a one year of his contract with the Pacers left, George publicly stated he will not sign an extension and is aiming to become a member of Los Angeles Lakers. This could be one of the reasons why the Lakers didn’t try to trade for George, seeing him become a member of Oklahoma City Thunder. Lakers may end up getting George for free, but they could also miss out completely on him if George and Westbrook’s tandem proves to be successful.

The post NBA Issued $500K Fine to Los Angeles Lakers for Tampering Paul George appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After the Los Angeles Lakers have been handed a $500,000 fine for tampering superstar Paul George, the team’s president of basketball operations Magic Johnson has offered to pay it. Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times has obtained Johnson’s statement who said:

“We can’t say a lot but we will correct the situation. It’s under my watch. I apologize to Jeanie, and that was the main thing. I told her she could take it out of my salary because I don’t want the Lakers to be paying that fine. … I don’t want her spending $500,000 because she didn’t do anything. That’s on me.“

Lakers received a $500,000 fine last week after NBA investigation showed that Lakers GM Rob Pelinka contacted the agent of Paul George and violated league’s anti-tampering rule by doing so. Lakers were previously warned by NBA after Magic Johnson made certain comments on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Johnson said that he would “wink at Paul George” if he would saw him on vacation and George would know what that means.

NBA began the investigation after tampering charges were filed by Indiana Pacers. Following the charges, LA Lakers released an official statement denying the accusations in full. They were in danger of losing draft picks and being banned from signing Paul George in the future, so the $500K fine isn’t that bad.

According to numerous sources and Paul George himself, Los Angeles Lakers are George’s preferred team once he enters free agency next summer. Lakers were reluctant to make a trade with the Pacers, hoping George won’t change his mind and that they will be able to sign him for free. After being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, George said that his comments about the Lakers were exaggerated and that he would be crazy to leave Oklahoma if the team shows potential to win an NBA title soon.

The post LA Lakers President Magic Johnson Offers to Pay $500K Tampering Fine appeared first on SportzBonanza.

NBA released a statement yesterday saying that they will begin an investigation regarding the alleged tampering of Paul George by the Los Angeles Lakers following the request made by the Indiana Pacers. The Lakers denied the accusations, saying they expect everything to be sorted out soon since there is no evidence of tampering. It is believed that Magic Johnson, Lakers president of basketball operations, is at the center of the investigation.

Pacers suspect that Magic Johnson made a contact with Paul George while he was still their player. Under the regulations, officials of NBA teams can’t make any contacts with players (or their agents) about the possible move until the players’ free-agency year opens on July 1.

Paul George, 4 times NBA All-Star and the 10th pick in 2010 NBA draft, still had one year of his contract remaining but made it clear he doesn’t intend to sign an extension with Indiana Pacers and that his preferred destination is Los Angeles. This put Indiana Pacers in an awkward position, forcing them to choose between playing George for another year and losing him for nothing or trading him to another club. His publicly stated desire that he wants to play for Lakers didn’t help in the process, with the majority of teams unwilling to give up major assets for a player that would walk on them after a year. Oklahoma City Thunder was one of the teams willing to take a risk, sending Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis to Indiana in exchange for George.

Several sources are saying that Pacers intended to file the charges even before they made a trade with OKC. If the tampering turns out to be true, LA Lakers could be in for a severe punishment. This includes losing draft picks, not being allowed to sign Paul George in the future or receiving a financial fine.

The post NBA Investigation Underway Due To Possible Tampering Of Paul George By LA Lakers appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Paul George made one of the most surprising decisions in this summer’s free agency when he opted to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He even refused to meet with other NBA teams including the Los Angeles Lakers, his hometown team and presumed favorite to sign him.

Now, speaking on the Short Story Long podcast, the 28-year-old All-Star decided to explain the reasons for refusing a meeting with the Lakers.

“L.A. was pissed at me” – said George. “I didn’t give Magic [Johnson] a meeting, which I understand. But at that point, I knew I wanted to give it another shot [in Oklahoma City]. I didn’t want to prolong it and waste people’s time.“

According to Paul George, he saw more positives than negatives in his single season with Thunder and decided it was worth sticking around.

“Coming down to free agency, I didn’t want to waste any time,” – he added. “I wanted to give it another shot. I gave them one year. We played well against the best teams. I wanted to give it a real shot.“

In the summer of 2017, Paul George informed his Indiana Pacers that he won’t resign with the team and that he prefers a move to the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite his desire, Thunder decided to take a gamble and send Victor Oladipo and Domantis Sabonis to Pacers in exchange for George.

OKC showed flashes of being a great team in the last season, but the team didn’t end the year on a high note, losing to the Utah Jazz in six games in the first round of the NBA playoffs. After this, many people thought that Thunder’s chances to re-sign Paul George went from slim to none after this, but he managed to surprise them all.

In the past season, George averaged 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists per game.

The post Paul George on Not Meeting with Lakers: “I Didn’t Want to Prolong It” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

In one of the most surprising moves this NBA offseason, Paul George decided to turn down the opportunity to play in his hometown of Los Angeles. Instead, the 28-year-old All-Star agreed to prolong his stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder, signing a four-year deal with the team.

Now, while attending USA Basketball’s minicamp, PG13 decided to explain his decision to stay with the OKC. George said that although he wanted to get back home, he loved the situation in Oklahoma and decided to “around a little longer.”

“It was absolutely tempting,” – said George about the opportunity to join LA Lakers. “Honestly, I wanted to come back home. But again, I got traded to Oklahoma. Loved the situation. Loved where I was at. I decided to stick around a little longer.“

“I just wanted my free agency to be over with. In my heart, I felt great about Oklahoma and I wasn’t going to prolong it if I felt good about it already.” – he added.

Before entering the final year of his contract with the Indiana Pacers, Paul George decided to tell the organization that he doesn’t intend to sign the extension and would prefer to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Still, Lakers opted against trading for George, thinking they will get him for free in the summer of 2018. Knowing this, Thunder decided to make a gamble and trade for him regardless. The risk ended up paying off, and George remained in Oklahoma without even giving Lakers a meeting with him.

Although Paul George put up significant numbers in the past season – 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists per game – Oklahoma City Thunder underachieved and ended up being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. George is well aware of this and intends to make a better impression in the next season.

“I felt when it came down to it and all the factors that played into it, deep down there was a nasty taste where we finished,” – he said. “I just felt I had more to offer. I had more to give. I just felt about where we were as a whole.”

The post Paul George Explains His Decision to Stay in OKC appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Paul George will snub the bright lights of his hometown Los Angeles and try to build on his partnership with Russell Westbrook. It was revealed by multiple sources, including Yahoo Sports and ESPN, that George has agreed to sign a four-year, $137 million deal which will keep him with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Paul George has committed to sign a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, league sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2018

On Saturday night, Thunder organized a huge party and brought Paul George in, hoping to get a long-term commitment from him. They did so, with George taking the mic at one point and saying: “If y’all didn’t quite get it, let me say it again. I’m here to stay.”

You heard it here first. pic.twitter.com/jN6gBn6j1Z

— Gabe Ikard (@GabeIkard) July 1, 2018

This was rather a surprising decision for the majority of the NBA. Little over a year ago, Paul George informed Indiana Pacers that he intends to leave the organization in 2018 and sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. Knowing his wish to sign with the Lakers, teams were reluctant to give up many assets to acquire him, thinking he would be a one-year rental. Thunder, however, decided to take a gamble and sent Victor Oladipo and Domantis Sabonis to Indiana in return for George.

Unfortunately for OKC, their pitch to Paul George took a hit, since the team struggled throughout the season and were eliminated in the first round of playoffs by Utah Jazz. Still, George spoke positively about the organization the whole year, and in the recent weeks, there was a growing sense he might stay in Oklahoma, which ended up happening. Sources close to the situation said that friendship he developed with Russell Westbrook in the past year was a big factor for George in making his decision.

Surprisingly, Los Angeles Lakers didn’t even manage to get a meeting with the player. Still, it is hard to imagine they will be sad for too long since they have managed to sign LeBron James a day later.

The post Paul George to Stay with OKC, Signs 4-Year/$137 Million Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Oklahoma City Thunder’s forward Paul George is one of the biggest NBA stars to enter the free agency this offseason. Now, even before Thunder’s general manager Sam Presti managed to get him in Oklahoma City, it looked like George’s destination for the 2018-19 season is all set. His hometown of Los Angeles.

This became even more apparent when the Thunder performed below expectations in the past season and was eliminated in the first round of playoffs by Utah Jazz team whose biggest star was a rookie.

But, wait a second. Thunder fans, don’t burn your PG13 jerseys just yet. It looks like Paul George might end up staying in Oklahoma City after all. According to The New York Times, there is a “growing belief around the league” that George might be playing in the same jersey next season as well.

“There is a growing belief around the league that Oklahoma City has a far better chance to retain the free-agent-to-be Paul George than many believed when the Thunder crashed out of the first round of the playoffs.” – wrote Stein in his New York Times newsletter on Tuesday.

This might not be a so farfetched, considering the fact that Oklahoma City Thunder can offer Paul George the most money. Thunder holds his Bird rights and can offer him five-year, $175.7 million contract while other teams can offer him four-year, $130.3 million deal. Besides this, it looks like George developed a good relationship with Thunder’s biggest star Russell Westbrook and also enjoys life in Oklahoma City.

With Thunder, Paul George would certainly have a better chance to compete for a championship than if he decides to go home and play for the Los Angeles Lakers. His decision might also depend on the move that LeBron James makes. With James and George, Lakers would immediately be an NBA championship contender. But if James decides to go elsewhere, George would be a lot further from the title than he is now.

Besides Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers, other team’s that are in the mix to land Paul George are Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets.

The post “Growing Belief around the League” that Paul George Will Stay with Oklahoma City Thunder appeared first on SportzBonanza.

On Thursday, Los Angeles Lakers received a $500K fine from the NBA after Lakers’ GM Rob Pelinka violated league’s anti-tampering rule and contacted the agent of Paul George. This has been confirmed by the Lakers themselves, with Pelinka and the team’s outside counsel, Adam Streisand giving their official statements about the matter.

“We respect and accept the NBA’s decision regarding this matter. On behalf of the Los Angeles Lakers, I want to express our regret over this unfortunate incident to both our fans and the NBA.“- said Pelinka.

“The Lakers organization is pleased that this thorough investigation has been brought to a close – and we can assure the fans that the Lakers will be hyper-vigilant going forward to make sure this is never an issue again.” – added Streisand.

The investigation showed that Pelinka contacted George’s agent which “constituted a prohibited expression of interest in the player while he was under contract“. The contact was made after the Lakers were previously warned about their actions.

More than a week ago, NBA officially began an investigation following the alleged tampering of Paul George by the Lakers. The investigation was a result of tampering charges filed by Pacers against the Lakers. Although Los Angeles Lakers were quick to deny the accusations, it looks like they were definitely trying to get George to LA by using dirty tactics. The fine of $500K is really nothing compared to other possible sanctions Lakers could have faced, including suspensions, draft picks losses and being unable to sign Paul George in the future.

Having a one year of his contract with the Pacers left, George publicly stated he will not sign an extension and is aiming to become a member of Los Angeles Lakers. This could be one of the reasons why the Lakers didn’t try to trade for George, seeing him become a member of Oklahoma City Thunder. Lakers may end up getting George for free, but they could also miss out completely on him if George and Westbrook’s tandem proves to be successful.

The post NBA Issued $500K Fine to Los Angeles Lakers for Tampering Paul George appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After the Los Angeles Lakers have been handed a $500,000 fine for tampering superstar Paul George, the team’s president of basketball operations Magic Johnson has offered to pay it. Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times has obtained Johnson’s statement who said:

“We can’t say a lot but we will correct the situation. It’s under my watch. I apologize to Jeanie, and that was the main thing. I told her she could take it out of my salary because I don’t want the Lakers to be paying that fine. … I don’t want her spending $500,000 because she didn’t do anything. That’s on me.“

Lakers received a $500,000 fine last week after NBA investigation showed that Lakers GM Rob Pelinka contacted the agent of Paul George and violated league’s anti-tampering rule by doing so. Lakers were previously warned by NBA after Magic Johnson made certain comments on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Johnson said that he would “wink at Paul George” if he would saw him on vacation and George would know what that means.

NBA began the investigation after tampering charges were filed by Indiana Pacers. Following the charges, LA Lakers released an official statement denying the accusations in full. They were in danger of losing draft picks and being banned from signing Paul George in the future, so the $500K fine isn’t that bad.

According to numerous sources and Paul George himself, Los Angeles Lakers are George’s preferred team once he enters free agency next summer. Lakers were reluctant to make a trade with the Pacers, hoping George won’t change his mind and that they will be able to sign him for free. After being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, George said that his comments about the Lakers were exaggerated and that he would be crazy to leave Oklahoma if the team shows potential to win an NBA title soon.

The post LA Lakers President Magic Johnson Offers to Pay $500K Tampering Fine appeared first on SportzBonanza.

NBA released a statement yesterday saying that they will begin an investigation regarding the alleged tampering of Paul George by the Los Angeles Lakers following the request made by the Indiana Pacers. The Lakers denied the accusations, saying they expect everything to be sorted out soon since there is no evidence of tampering. It is believed that Magic Johnson, Lakers president of basketball operations, is at the center of the investigation.

Pacers suspect that Magic Johnson made a contact with Paul George while he was still their player. Under the regulations, officials of NBA teams can’t make any contacts with players (or their agents) about the possible move until the players’ free-agency year opens on July 1.

Paul George, 4 times NBA All-Star and the 10th pick in 2010 NBA draft, still had one year of his contract remaining but made it clear he doesn’t intend to sign an extension with Indiana Pacers and that his preferred destination is Los Angeles. This put Indiana Pacers in an awkward position, forcing them to choose between playing George for another year and losing him for nothing or trading him to another club. His publicly stated desire that he wants to play for Lakers didn’t help in the process, with the majority of teams unwilling to give up major assets for a player that would walk on them after a year. Oklahoma City Thunder was one of the teams willing to take a risk, sending Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis to Indiana in exchange for George.

Several sources are saying that Pacers intended to file the charges even before they made a trade with OKC. If the tampering turns out to be true, LA Lakers could be in for a severe punishment. This includes losing draft picks, not being allowed to sign Paul George in the future or receiving a financial fine.

The post NBA Investigation Underway Due To Possible Tampering Of Paul George By LA Lakers appeared first on SportzBonanza.