According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors are two teams that have checked in regarding the availability of nine-time All-Star Paul George.
The Hawks potential interest doesn’t make much sense, no matter how you slice it. Atlanta’s amid a rebuild and features a number of wings with untapped potential that are much younger than Paul George, who is set to turn 35 years old in a few months.
Beyond that, George’s contract is abysmal. He’s in the first year of a four-year, $211 million contract that will pay him a whopping $57 million during his age-37 season. That’s preposterous for a player that has not been able to stay healthy — playing more than 56 games just once in his last six seasons — and is experiencing a sharp decline in production.
Paul George has had a helluva career, probably even one that will eventually get him into the Hall of Fame, but he’s in his mid-30s and clearly declining as a player. Frankly, I’m not sure why any team would be interested in acquiring his contract. De’Andre Hunter is putting up significantly better numbers and is making about $30 million less per season.
The Hawks are in a difficult spot. The season-ending injury to Jalen Johnson dashes any hopes they had of contending in the Eastern Conference. However, they can’t simply hit the tank button because they don’t own their first-round pick in this year’s draft because of the Dejounte Murray trade.
Landry Fields and Kyle Korver must balance trying to be as competitive as possible this season while still focusing on the future. That can sometimes be impossible waters to navigate, but I can say with 100% certainty Paul George is not the answer to the Hawks problems.
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Photo: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire
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