NBA Trade Rumors Thunder: Will Team Break The Bank To Keep Paul George?
Over the course of an eight-game winning streak, Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti is hard at work balancing team economics with the prospect of getting the team to a championship. Paul George is currently at the center of Presti's dilemma and with the Feb. 8 trade deadline nearing, will he risk it all with a $300 million team that screams "title contender?"
George, who is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract in June, recently hinted his intention to stay with OKC long-term. Apparently, fellow superstar Russell Westbrook is the reason behind George wanting to say as it seems the Westbrook is getting along much better with George than Durant. However, things are much more complicated than simple chemistry.
Currently, the most the team can pay George is a below-market-value of $23.4 million. However, if the Oklahoma City ownership wants to get an easy yes from the superstar they need to foot the bill for at least $30.3 million, and convincing them will not be an easy task for Presti.
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With George, along with Westbrook at $35.4 million, center Steven Adams at $24.2 million, Andre Roberson at $10 million and Carmelo Anthony at $27.9 million, the team is looking to pay between $250 and $300 million for their potential title-winning roster. While it may hurt the team's bottom line, securing the current roster will be better for the team and the fans in the long run.
As it stands, the Thunder has the potential to reach the finals with this good, but not an elite team. While they could manage if they get a good enough replacement for George, the team will still be hard pressed to triumph against the Warriors. While retaining George doesn't guarantee such a feat, it does give a bigger chance of doing so.
In the end, though, it will be up for Presti to make the decision on whether championship or economics wins out in the end. While basketball is an exciting sport, at the end of the day, it's still a business that needs to make money.
