The Los Angeles Clippers had to take the risk of acquiring Paul George because of what it meant for their standing in their city, in their league — and ultimately, making the painful yet pragmatic decision to hold firm against George’s salary wishes, ending the gambit.
George leaves home and heads East, to Philadelphia, to a franchise that has just as many playoff disappointments as the Clippers, if not more. The Clippers leave the table, not completely empty-handed, but no longer with the exuberance they arrived with.
George benefits, one supposes, because Joel Embiid is a bit more reliable in a playoff setting than Kawhi Leonard, even though Embiid’s playoff credit score isn’t exactly stellar.