NBA Free Agency Update: James Harden agrees to new deal, where will Paul George land? | CBS Sports

NBA Free Agency Update: James Harden agrees to new deal, where will Paul George land? | CBS Sports

in studio here with CBS Sports basketball analyst Chris Walker and let’s welcome in CBS Sports NBA Insider Bill Ryder Bill James Harden staying with the Clippers that basically means that Paul George is on his way out is that what that tells you well guys it tells you that they’re certainly worried that yeah that Paul George is gonna leave the reality is that James Harden is not worth this kind of money but when you have a bird’s right trap as John holler coined it like the Clippers had with Harden if he moved on you wouldn’t be able to replace and he have them between a rock and a hard place and he gets a great deal not just the two years and all that money but the player option means if he plays well this upcoming year there is every expectation he could opt down with that new money that’ll flow into the CBA because of what’ll be the ballooning amount of cash that comes in from Amazon and other rights holders he can get even more a there’s a world in in a way that they could certainly try to bring back Paul George but yes I think this is another indication that PG is heading somewhere else I’m curious what Chris thinks I’m curious what you guys think but it sure feels like Philadelphia the spot and while I haven’t talk to folks from the organization who said he’s coming and reaching out to some people within that six organization today they were in a much better mood and seemed a lot more optimistic than they did 48 hours ago well I’ll tell you this bill is the ultimate Insider so if he does not know it’s pretty tight lipped where Paul George is going but I’ll tell you this I believe Paul George is going to go to the Sixers but but I’ll well nobody knows where Paul George is going he’s meeting with three teams I think he’s going to go to six but but as far as the the James Harden situation again James Harden they had to get that done right they absolutely had to they had to again you know as as Bill mentioned they couldn’t get anything back for with the bird rights but I’ll I’ll tell you this the other part to it is where else is James Harden going I know you going go to Lakers like like you know LeBron trying to do his thing money so so my thing is where is he going he’s home he’s in LA new Arena as as you mentioned that the player option has a chance with the new deal maybe there it could be a balloon in what he gets paid uh you know James Harden again an anomaly not having the same numbers but also not the same player playing with two other superstars and if they don’t have Paul George remember they’re still in La you know and people love the Clippers they need to have some Star Quality there we don’t know how much uh kawh L will be available but at the end of the day Russell Westbrook he’ll be back six-man roll not the player he was but James Harden you got to have some type of star quality it is still la la even though they’re going to Englewood it’s still La they got to have some players aim I’m just telling you you got that look on your face you don’t like the James hard why don’t you like James Harden you you don’t think he’s worth the money they had one of the best records bill this didn’t work they have Paul George kawi Leonard James Harden where did they were a first round exit this is they’re throwing money at guys and I get it because the league has the money but like James Harden is turning 35 in August what more are you going to get out of him you are both absolutely right have you ever gone to Vegas and watched the guy who has lost half the money that his wife doesn’t know about he looks at the other half and he says I’m already getting divorced what the hell I’ll just put in the middle of the pot and see what happens that’s what’s going on and you’re both making great points because Chris is absolutely right the Lakers had some interest a faint amount of interest in James Harden they want a player of that caliber who’s willing to take a discount and they can now get him the mid-level exception which is just under $ 13 million a year obviously it won’t be hard but keep an eye on clay and Demar D rozan names like that guys that would take a pay cut if LeBron is wanted to take a pay cut to try to get some more help in La that’s the market I think for James Harden may maybe a little more if he wants he doesn’t but wants to go to place like Detroit or Orlando have a lot of cap space and James Harden was going to always take the cash and stay with the Clippers not because they’re gonna win because they again they ke they just they don’t have a choice you’re right it’s an absolute mistake for me in a vacuum the situation is it’s not a vacuum the Clippers have put themselves in a really bad situation they’ve got this strange game of chicken that’s going on with Paul George where they really should just give him the fourth year and pay him the money because they are not good enough but their cap reality is such that they’ve got to bring back the guys who are on their roster because if these guys leave they don’t have the flexibility the minute they brought James Harden into this team guys they had to pay him something along the lines of this deal and the fact it’s only two years is probably good news because if James Harden said give me a three-year deal even though he’s not worth it I think he would have gotten it because the Clippers have painted themselves into this corner Chris where where did it work with James Harden did it work in Houston Oklahoma City it work in Brooklyn yes it worked in Houston okay he was a one time MVP I’m just I’m just St the pot here no no no that was years ago though it definitely worked in Houston it wasn’t his fault it didn’t work in Brooklyn they didn’t but they didn’t do enough around him right they weren but James Harden has always been a polarizing figure and let’s and let’s face it Bill he wasn’t taking the discount because of what happened in Philly so he was going to get all of his money there was no way he was going to leave and do anything else but but again you’re talking about a player who sacrificed his game in Brooklyn sacrificed his game with the Clippers and I might add when the were healthy they were one of the best teams in the NBA it’s sabotaged everything you’re not wrong so James hard as much as much mign as he is he is one that will go in as a superstar egoist like some of them say you know what I’ll sacrifice and do this for the team and now he’s being rewarded for that you got to bill you got to have a star in La come on you you you can’t be in La without a star Kawai Kawai is a half a star like like a come on he’s what what you say he can he can be the guy he’s always h he’s always hurt so availability is the best ability so my thing is again he he if he had a Hollywood star he back real Dusty would like a little halfar you would me to see his name or all but but I’m just saying I love Kawai is’s a really good player second Team all all NBA but at the end of the day just not available so the Clippers has their bet maybe maybe it’ll work with with with two stars Kawai and James cuz kawh a half Stars well all right fine I get him too but he’s out in Costa Rica right now he’s he’s having good time apparently uh all right so Paul George is planing to speak with the Clippers 76ers and Magic here as free agency has begun Bill what would make sense for Paul George if you’re talking to those three teams the current team that you were just on uh as one of the suitors well I’m told the one he wants at 34 years old and what he thinks he has earned and he has I know he’s had injury issues he he’s come he’s coming off a really extraordinary season he he wants a fourth year and what he’s looking for is a fourth year now he’s from the LA area I think if the Clippers blink and give him a fourth year he’ll be a Clipper whether it’s in 30 minutes guys or it’s in a few days but what’s strange about this is the fact that La could have avoided the risk of PG leaving they just given him that fourth year they didn’t they obviously want to give him a three-year deal they want to be in line with what Kawhi Leonard got during the season that is a little bit below the full Max Paul George wants the full Max so in lie of the Clippers I think coming to their census because again I don’t think they have much of a choice I think Philadelphia makes the most sense that is an organization that doesn’t have much of a roster but if they’re healthy it’s a big gift Tyres Joel L and Paul George that’s an extraordinary basketball team I’m not sure it’s the level of the 1A Celtics and the 1B Nicks in the Eastern Conference but depending how darl M would fill out the roster around those three guys you’re a competitive basketball team certainly in the East Orlando has a sizable more than ample cap space that they won’t offer a full deal they finished what fifth in the Eastern Conference last year and they’re young and interesting so it’s not as if they’re in a rebuild where they can’t compete he’s not going to Detroit he’s not going to some some of these other places so I think think a team the first thing he wants is to be in LA and I’m curious whether or not his decision to meet with these other teams is one last effort by his agents I’m told this is partially the case to get the Clippers to see reason and give him the fourth year if that doesn’t happen I think he shifts what he wants to winning and I think the team you win with the most now that the Warriors cannot bring him in because he’s opt out of that deal is going to Philadelphia pairing up with them be and with maxi and seeing what they can do bill is that an either or situation or is that an and situation can they have Paul George and Tyres ma in Philadelphia will that work they they can so what Daryl muray who runs basketball operations did this year and it may not work out as he created a ton of cap space they basically have those two stars Maxi and embb under contract and their draft picks that they just selected and that’s their basketball team right now so the downside is they’re gonna have to find a way to fill that out even if they get Paul George the good news is you have the money Paul George is option number one if they don’t get him I’m told maybe Brandon Ingram that would involve a trade obviously with the Pelicans but answer your question yes you you can give Paul George if you’re Philadelphia a four-year full Mach you can you can sign and they will Tyrese Maxi he’s a restricted free agent there is no world where Philadelphia doesn’t just give him the absolute max if for some reason he saw Maxi an offer sheet with another team which I don’t think will happen Philadelphia would M would would match it immediately but yes you can have MB Maxi and PG on contracts together if Paul George decides he wants to go to Philadelphia and I’m sure this will happen darl M and the Sixers offer Paul George a four-year full Max when we get just I guess we’re there now when we when we sort of get to those meetings and and the ability to make that decision Chris you like that fit listen I I’ll just say this how dides that work out for Phoenix this year have three stars and no one else right didn’t work out great it didn’t work out great and I’ll say this with the star Mel Bridget is going to New York with Boston winning the championship forget about Orlando there’s no chance and you mentioned before about James Harden like what has he done what has Paul George done so now you’re talking about getting PG-13 a huge contract he wants a foure deal you may catch lightning in the bottle you don’t have enough Supporting Cast and now the Knicks and the Celtics are very formidable in the East with if kawh Lon is healthy stay with the Clippers you have a better chance you see what Dallas did as a fifth seat if you’re telling me that the Minnesota timber puppies as I call them and the Thunder or the one in the two seed stay in the west stay in the west that’s all I’m saying I mean I I get the fit because that that would be a nice fit for Philadelphia with Paul George basically taking the role of Tobias Terris right I mean that’s that’s a nice piece to have with Tyrese Maxi and Joel embiid that’s that’s a nice I’d be nice to have we’ll see if it if it works out for Philadelphia but again James Harden is staying with the Clippers

Chris Walker and Bill Reiter join CBS Sports HQ to break down the latest news around NBA free agency.

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