Convincing Paul George to re-up in Oklahoma City, when the Angeleno had openly pined for an opportunity to represent his hometown, always looked to be a tough sell for the Thunder. When they flamed out of the playoffs in the first round against the Utah Jazz, their chances of retaining the All-NBA swingman - who can opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 - seemed to pass from remote to nonexistent.
And yet, an increasing number of people around the league like the Thunder's chances of keeping George, at least in the short term, reports Marc Stein of the New York Times.
Multiple rival teams indicated to Stein that they expect George will "strongly consider" signing a one-plus-one deal - in other words, a two-year deal with a player option in Year 2 - to stay in OKC. On such a contract, George could make up to $63 million, or enter unrestricted free agency again next summer after collecting some $30 million in 2018-19.
One-plus-ones have become popular among the NBA's super-elites (namely, LeBron James) because they offer maximum flexibility. But George doesn't have James' income security, and, though he's 28 and squarely in his prime, it's unclear whether he would value that short-term flexibility over long-term security. He could sign a four-year deal worth $130 million on the open market, while the Thunder - who own his Bird rights - can offer him five years and about $178 million.
In his first and possibly only season with the Thunder, George played in 79 games; averaged 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and two steals; ranked second in the NBA in 3-point makes while shooting a career-best 40.1 percent from deep; and was named an All-NBA third-teamer for the fourth time.
