Paul George has revealed that he was close to joining the Golden State Warriors before signing with the Philadelphia 76ers.
During this week’s episode of “Podcast P with Paul George,” Presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment, George discussed the near-deal with Golden State.
He shared that the Warriors expressed strong interest in adding him to their roster.
George stated, “That was a real thing that was close to being done. That deal was close to being done from what I was being told on the situation.”
He detailed how the Warriors saw him fitting in alongside Draymond Green, Steph Curry, and potentially Klay Thompson.
“They was expressing just how much they wanted me there, how I could have fit in perfectly with Draymond, Steph. Klay probably would’ve stayed. Podziemski, Kuminga, Wiggins,” George said.
George mentioned, “They didn’t know how or what package was going to be there to trade for me…[Kevon] Looney was going to be there and so it was very intriguing.”
Despite the promising fit, the deal fell through due to trade disagreements.
George explained, “Ultimately the deal didn’t go through. I think Clippers didn’t want a certain trade deal that Warriors were willing to give and yeah, it just didn’t happen.”
He also appreciated the opportunity to stay on the West Coast, close to home.
George remarked, “It was still an opportunity to stay close to home, stay on the West Coast, and it was a win-win.”
He acknowledged the unique talents of Steph Curry and Joel Embiid, comparing them to “unicorns.”
“I think Steph is a unicorn, one of one player, and Joel’s a unicorn…So it was kind of like a good situation to be in the middle of,” George said.
Reflecting on the missed opportunity, George expressed his disappointment.
“It’d been dope, man. I was looking forward to it, if it happened,” he said.
Ultimately, George joined the 76ers, drawn by their compelling pitch and organizational fit.
