NBA free agency began with a splash, as several minutes before the calendar officially turned to July 1, word surfaced of Paul George agreeing to re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He went into the process along with LeBron James as one of the more sought-after free agents.
Both were said to be targets of the Los Angeles Lakers, who reportedly are also involved in completing a potential trade for disgruntled San Antonio Spurs All-Star Kawhi Leonard. George had long been considered a heavy Lakers lean but that appeared to change in recent days.
Although they lost favor with the Southern California native, the Lakers reportedly began to gain ground in the James sweepstakes.