George 'definitely happy' with Thunder, but won't rule out Lakers in free agency
Has Paul George had a change of heart?
The elite small forward previously told the Indiana Pacers he would opt out of his contract after the season to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, indicating a preference to join his hometown Los Angeles Lakers.
George, 27, was subsequently traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, rounding out a shiny new Big Three with Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony. Following a shaky start, the Thunder appeared to hit their stride with a six-game winning streak in late-December and then an eight-gamer that was snapped earlier this week.
Oklahoma City now sits fifth in the Western Conference and ranks in the top 10 in both offense and defense, so ... could George stay put? Or are the Lakers still his top choice?
"I obviously would've loved to go home. That was ideal when it was that time," he recently told ESPN's Rachel Nichols. "But now, being here and playing alongside Russ, playing alongside Melo, I've built real brotherhood with those guys. If we're here right now, then where can we be next year? Where can we be the year after that?
"Of course L.A. is home so that's always gonna draw the attention, but we'll see. I won't rule anything out, but I'm definitely happy where I'm at and I like where we're going. And I wanna see how this unfolds."
Related: George calls Russ an 'unbelievable teammate'
George was originally left off the All-Star team, which Westbrook called "outrageous." The three-time All-NBA swingman, who was eventually added to Team LeBron as DeMarcus Cousins' injury replacement, appreciated the reigning MVP's support and said he's "the reason why this decision is becoming even more easier to make."
PG-13 is averaging 21.6 points on 44.4 percent shooting from the field and a glistening 42.2 percent from 3-point territory, while leading the league in steals (2.2) and deflections (4.5). He's earning $19.5 million this year and is expected to decline his $20.7-million player option.
The Lakers have made a conscious effort to maintain cap flexibility in hopes of signing two max players next offseason.