Knicks among favorites to land All-Star forward this offseason

Los Angeles Clipper forward Paul George (13) dribbles the ball against New York Knicks shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden
Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks are still in the mix to land marquee players starting this summer, despite their transformative trade deadline moves. The Knicks have Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers), LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), and his son Bronny James out of USC on their radar, and can add another impact player to their list.

Knicks given great odds to acquire All-Star Paul George

Los Angeles Clippers All-Star forward Paul George has a great chance of landing in the Big Apple. As Heavy Sports’ Alder Almo shared, New York has been given the second-best odds to steal George from the Clippers, and the third-best overall behind L.A. and the Philadelphia 76ers, per Bovada:

“The Knicks have the second-best odds at +950 behind the Philadelphia 76ers (+275) as George’s next team, per Bovada. The Clippers are still the odds-on favorite to retain George at -220,” Almo said.

George has a $47.78 million player option for the 2024-25 NBA season. If he declined to pick up that option, several teams will be vying for his five-tool services.

Apr 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA;  Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George (13) warms up prior to the NBA game against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

George is worth the money he’d cost to play at Madison Square Garden

The Fresno State product is averaging 22.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. He’s given L.A. strong production on both sides of the ball as he’s known to do, and the change he can bring to the Knicks goes beyond the numbers.

George is a dynamic shot-creator who thrives in isolation and can throw his defenders off balance off the dribble to create space for easy outside looks. The 6-8, 220-pound wing is one of the few players in the league that naturally plays at least three positions, in his case from the 2 to the 4.

This gives the Knicks flexibility in who to potentially move in order to make way for the once-MVP candidate. Rumors are that George’s situation with the Clippers is iffy. This has prompted many to believe that he could walk once given the first chance.

If the Knicks can manage to acquire the 33-year-old swingman, he’d be a quintessential option next to All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson and company.

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