"Paul George is certainly available" - NBA insider says LA Clippers actively looking to move 8-time All-Star

The LA Clippers might be inclined to move on from Paul George this offseason after another disappointing campaign due to injuries. The latest NBA rumors suggest that the Clippers have made George available for trade this summer.

According to NBA Insider Howard Beck, the Clippers are frustrated with how George's partnership with Kawhi Leonard has not resulted in success. The duo are great together, but the problem is that they have never been healthy enough to be on the court at the same time:

"I was hearing things that suggested Paul George was in play, and everything since then has validated that," Beck said on the 'FnA' podcast with Kevin Figgers and Adam Ausland.

"I think he's in play. Lawrence Frank is gonna say what he has to say. Team GMs and presidents always say, 'No, we love our guys,' right up until the moment that they trade him. That's just how this thing goes.

"Mike Dunleavy Jr., on the day he was introduced as the Warriors new GM said, 'Jordan Poole is gonna be here for years to come' and then we just saw him get traded. So Paul George is certainly available.

"They're not trying to give him away, but they are trying to pivot, and they do have a franchise-wide frustration with the way that this era has gone."

The LA Clippers acquired Paul George from the OKC Thunder in the summer of 2019 to pair him with Kawhi Leonard, who was signed as a free agent. George has been named an All-Star twice during his four-year stay with the Clippers.

He's been great for the Clippers when healthy but has missed 24, 18, 51 and 26 games in each of the last four seasons, respectively. George missed all of this year's playoffs due to a knee injury suffered toward the end of the regular season.

Leonard, who has also had his fair share of injuries during his tenure with the Clippers, played two postseason games before suffering another knee injury.

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Paul George's contract with LA Clippers

Paul George of the LA Clippers

Paul George has two more years left in his contract with the LA Clippers. He's set to earn $45.6 million this season with a player option worth $48.8 million for the 2024-25 season. He's likely to opt out of that contract and enter free agency for one last huge payday.

That means the Clippers' window to trade George starts this summer, as long as they receive an offer they like. The Clippers are set to move to Iniut Dome in Inglewood at the start of the 2024-25 season. They will need to have huge names on their roster to make it a must-see destination.