“Dare Him to Leave”: Steve Ballmer Advised to Sit Back on Paul George Despite Rigorous Efforts from Teams to Recruit 9x All-Star

With both rounds of the draft officially over, the focus now shifts to the upcoming free agency. And arguably the biggest name that could soon be available in the open market is of Clippers superstar Paul George. Although the Clippers want to keep PG in LA, they have been reluctant to offer him the four-year max contract he desires. Meanwhile, several suitors have been lining up for a chance to get their hands on the nine-time All-Star in case he declines his $48.8 million player option and becomes a free agent. Amid this uncertainty, a bold advice has come Steve Ballmer’s way to take a massive gamble and let things play out organically.

Addressing the PG situation, veteran insider Ramona Shelburne advised Ballmer to take a back seat, “Somebody pretty close to this told me, ‘This is more of a longshot.’ The Clippers don’t have to do anything. They can just sit back and dare him to leave.” Because teams like the Warriors are reportedly willing to offer Paul a $221 million deal, he seems to have a ton of leverage over the Clippers to get his way.

Meanwhile, the number Ballmer is offering, that is in the ball park of $150 million for three years, might be the maximum he is willing to budge to keep PG in LA. But there is a possibility that the superstar is only leveraging other teams’ interest to get a better deal out of Ballmer while his intention remains to stay put with the Clippers. Even ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently claimed that PG likely wants to stay in the West Coast, “I’m not so sure Paul George really wanted to leave the West Coast. I think that was something that Philadelphia ran into when they kicked the tires there.” Although a huge risk, if Ballmer lets things run its course with the Warriors and dares PG to leave in free agency, there is a possibility that he might eventually take the three-year deal and stay in LA because that might be his best shot at winning a title.

Paul George’s decision could depend on what he is chasing

“At this point, I’m not even necessarily… chasing a Championship. It’s playing the right style of basketball is what I’m chasing.” This statement by Paul George during a recent episode of his podcast made many question his desire of winning his first ring. However, at the age of 34, PG does not have many good years left in the league. And once the window closes, he might go on to regret not chasing a Championship while he still had the chance. As of now, PG is still playing at an elite level as he averaged 22.6 points this season while being productive on both ends. Moreover, his best shot at winning a ring might be to take the Clippers offer.

With Ballmer trying to keep the core of Kawhi, Harden, Russ and PG intact, the nine-time All-Star is unlikely to get such a star-studded roster any place else. Yes, there lies a risk of catching the injury bug like they did this season, but that might also be the case if he signs with the Warriors because they also have an ageing roster. More importantly, PG already has built in chemistry with his current crew while there will be an adjusting period if he switches teams. So, Ballmer might actually be better off sitting back and not panicking about the PG situation and letting him realize on his own that staying put could be the best option for him.

Before you go, do not forget to check out what Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato has to say about the alleged Shaq and Kobe Lakers beef. Keep checking this space for more such updates.