Paul George’s dad says he had visions of son joining Lakers after negotiations with Clippers failed

Paul George’s father revealed that he had thoughts about his son leaving the Los Angeles Clippers for the Los Angeles Lakers earlier in the offseason.

“I was lookin’ at, okay, well, we gonna go next door then (to the Lakers), but they already spent too much money,” he said. “We gon’ still come down in the tunnel, (but) it’s gonna be wearin’ a different color.”

Several months ago, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reported that the Lakers would go on the hunt for another star to complement the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis this offseason. However, the start of the 2024-25 regular season is next month, and the Lakers have yet to make a significant addition to their roster.

George explained back in July that he and the Clippers were never able to get on the same page in contract negotiations. He ultimately didn’t re-sign with the Clippers this offseason — but he didn’t join the Lakers, either.

He agreed to terms with the Philadelphia 76ers on a four-year, $212 million deal, and he will form a star trio with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

George put up great numbers during his tenure with the Clippers, but he wasn’t always healthy. He appeared in 60-plus games in just one of his five seasons in Los Angeles. The one exception came in his last season with the Clippers.

George played in 74 games during the 2023-24 regular season and averaged 22.6 points on 47.1 percent shooting from the field and 41.3 percent shooting from 3-point range on top of 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per contest. He also earned an All-Star nod — the ninth of his NBA career — for his work on both sides of the ball last season.

The 34-year-old will be able to play in a regular-season game with the 76ers for the first time on Oct. 23, when the squad is scheduled to take on Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. That will be a home game for Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center.

George won’t have to wait long to play his former team, as the 76ers and Clippers will face off in L.A. on Nov. 6.