This year's NBA offseason promises to be fascinating—hopefully it will be just as juicy as last year's unforgettable summer, which featured numerous stars changing uniforms and contenders revolutionizing their rosters. Everyone will pay attention to LeBron James' next contract, of course, but many will also keep close tabs on Paul George.
George spent one season with Oklahoma City after being traded from Indiana, but the Thunder's season was a disappointment. It ended in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs with a loss to the young Utah Jazz.
Rumors have long linked George to the Los Angeles Lakers, his hometown team, but he has insisted Oklahoma City is a serious contender. He definitely seemed to be taking the Thunder seriously in his 2017-18 exit interview.
If you believe ESPN's Ryen Russillo, however, George is as good as gone. Russillo shared on his podcast that an informed source told him George will sign elsewhere—though that other location wasn't specified.
"Today is the first time I've heard from anybody that I trust that George is gone," Russillo said.
He continued: "I don't know where. It's a 'He's gone' deal...And I was like, 'Where is he going then?' And (the source) was like, 'All we know is that he's gone.'"
Of course, you can't draw any definitive conclusions from a rumor like this, and we'll probably hear many more in the weeks to come. But Russillo is plugged in around the league and is one of the more reasonable sports pundits—he doesn't generally offer hot takes without warrant. It's hard to imagine he would share this information on his show if he didn't believe the source was credible.
George, 27, averaged 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. He remains one of the league's best perimeter defenders.
