The Warriors had a strong desire to acquire Paul George, but ultimately fell short of reaching a deal with him before he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. Reports suggest that the team was very close to getting George before he opted out of his contract with the Clippers on Saturday. Negotiations took place at various levels within the organization, but in the end, Golden State missed out on acquiring him.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, George was interested in joining the Warriors, but the team was unwilling to include young forward Jonathan Kuminga in any trade offers. Despite offering multiple combinations of expiring contracts, young players, and draft picks, they were determined not to part ways with Kuminga. He is seen as a key piece of their future.
The Athletic reported that the Warriors offered several players in exchange for George, including Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, Kuminga, Moses Moody and a future first-round pick. However, due to conflicting reports on the exact details of the trade packages it is unclear how much they offered for George. It is clear that Golden State valued Kuminga highly and did not want to let him go in any potential deal for George.
Despite their best efforts to acquire him, Golden State was unable to secure George who eventually signed with 76ers. Moving forward, they will focus on developing their young talent including Kuminga as they continue to build a championship-contending team for years to come.
