Sports
Why letting Paul George walk, and saying no to the Warriors, made sense for the Clippers
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Saying goodbye to Paul George was one thing.
The LA Clippers decided in early July to draw a hard line in negotiations with the 34-year-old, who wanted a four-year, $212 million max deal that he would get from the Philadelphia 76ers instead. The prospect of paying him nearly $60 million at the age of 37 — especially given his health history during his five years in L.A. — was a nightmare scenario the Clippers wanted to avoid.
Ditto for the no-trade clause that George wanted and was denied. Add in the long-term planning component — a four-year max deal for George would have gone one year past the length of Kawhi Leonard’s deal while cutting too deeply into the precious salary cap space that would be better used on younger superstars who might become available — and you start to understand why the nine-time All-Star was in a Sixers jersey for his reunion game at Intuit Dome on Wednesday night.
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Even if this Leonard-led era never pans out — and the track record speaks for itself at this point — the Clippers protected their ability to go big again in the summer of 2027. And with teams like the Bucks and Sixers having gone all in on their problematic three-star plans that are failing miserably at the moment, there’s an argument to be made that the Clippers’ vision will pay off.
If only for a night, it didn’t look like these Clippers needed George in their 110-98 win. Norm Powell, the guard who replaced George in the starting lineup and who deemed George’s departure “addition by subtraction” in the preseason, had 26 points (while hitting six 3s) and six assists while outplaying his former teammate (George had 18 points and seven rebounds).
The newcomer who wouldn’t be here if George had stayed, Derrick Jones Jr., was one of many productive role players who contributed a pivotal part when the lone available Clippers star, James Harden, had an off-night (5-of-15 shooting, six turnovers; 18 points and six assists).
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The Clippers improved to 4-4 — not too shabby considering Leonard (right knee) has yet to play this season. The Sixers — who have been without Joel Embiid (left knee) all season and George for all but two games (left knee) and must now worry about Tyrese Maxey after he suffered a hamstring injury against the Clippers — saw their pressure-packed situation get even worse as they fell to 1-6.
But when it comes to the George saga that was the top story of the NBA summer, and which will surely be discussed and re-litigated for years to come, the question that has confounded so many rival front-office executives and scouts this season is this: Why were the Clippers willing to say goodbye to George without getting anything in return?
As The Athletic’s Anthony Slater recently detailed, the Warriors remain both frustrated and confused by their offseason pursuit of George (and Utah’s Lauri Markkanen) that fell flat. Everyone from Golden State owner Joe Lacob on down chimed in on the matter, with Steph Curry, Draymond Green, coach Steve Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. sharing their view of the sign-and-trade situation gone wrong.
There’s an old and outdated adage in the NBA that you just don’t let star players walk for nothing, but the Clippers — as so many around the league saw it — had gone against that grain by passing on their only real chance at recouping assets for George with the Warriors.
But just as the Clippers aren’t regretting the choices that led to George’s departure to Philadelphia, team sources are adamant in their defense of the Golden State decision as well. And the reasoning has everything to do with the financial flexibility that they valued more than what the Warriors had to offer. Strange as it might sound, they would argue that there are times when nothing is better than something.
Paul George walks near the Clippers bench on Wednesday. (Harry How / Getty Images)
Had the Clippers agreed to do the deal, with the most likely scenario being Golden State sending Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, Moses Moody and a first-round pick their way in exchange for George, then team sources say the second-apron luxury tax penalties that would have come with it would have put the total cost at approximately $110 million. The Clippers had serious interest in Warriors fourth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga and would have likely done the deal if he was included along with the first-round pick, but team sources say he was never truly available.
The two teams did discuss scenarios that included Kuminga, team sources said, but the Warriors later pulled him off the table. Considering he was the only young Warriors prospect whom the Clippers truly saw as a potential star, that was the real X-factor in it all. Even Brandin Podziemski, the second-year guard who was on the Clippers’ wish list, wasn’t available. So rather than take what Golden State offered, and having to navigate the second-apron hell that came with it, the Clippers decided to target the role players of their choosing elsewhere.
If you somehow haven’t heard by now, the second-apron luxury tax penalties that come when a team’s payroll exceeds $189 million are the bane of every billionaire’s existence. Even owners like the Clippers’ Steve Ballmer, the former Microsoft CEO whose net worth of $123 billion makes him the richest owner in sports, are now forced to fear the consequences that come with spending your way to the top.
Frozen draft picks. A restriction against making trades in which multiple player salaries are aggregated. No midlevel exceptions, sign-and-trades, or ability to send cash out in trades. Minimum-salary players abound.
A blank check isn’t enough anymore.
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The list of roster-wrecking ramifications is long, and perhaps even boring to the casual fans, but the truth of it all is that front-office executives whose teams are in that unwelcome financial state are like handymen with an empty tool belt. Among all of the involved parties in George’s Clippers exit, opinions differ when it comes to the second-apron effect.
On the one hand, the Clippers offered George a three-year, $150 million deal that would have put them in the second-apron territory throughout the length of that contract. They even offered a four-year deal for less than max money, further proving that point. To some extent, quite clearly, they were willing to deal with the second-apron life.
On the other hand, the Clippers showed a strong commitment to avoiding the second apron in all the scenarios that didn’t involve either elite players or young players with the potential to be elite (George or Kuminga). There’s a gray area here on this front, but it’s just silly to pretend that it didn’t come into play.
To watch George fall short against his old team on Wednesday was to wonder if maybe the Clippers didn’t make the right call after all. He is still an elite player in this league, the kind of two-way talent who would fit in beautifully on any legitimate title contender.
But the Clippers aren’t that, not with Leonard’s tenuous status and Harden’s advanced age. Nor are the Sixers, who have a franchise centerpiece in Embiid whose near-constant health issues put him alongside Leonard when it comes to being a calculated risk.
George wanted to maximize his money, and he did just that. The Clippers wanted to protect their future, and they did that too. Whether that makes it a win-win is in the eye of the beholder, but it might be that simple in the end.
(Photos: Tim Heitman, Barry Gossage / NBAE via Getty Images. Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic)
Sports
It’s Game 7, and we have a bet locked in as the Cavaliers and legacies are on the line against the Pistons
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The NBA takes a lot of flak for having meaningless games, and I can definitely understand it, watching on a random Wednesday in January. However, the playoffs have delivered over and over to viewers and rewarded us for putting up with garbage regular-season games.
This will be the fourth Game 7 of the playoffs. Three series have been sweeps, and the other three have been six games. That shows competitive hoops. Now, how do we bet this Game 7 in the Eastern Conference?
The Cleveland Cavaliers blew it. After not winning a road game all postseason, they took Game 5 in surprising fashion. It looked like they were going to win in six games. After all, they hadn’t lost a game at home in the postseason.
Instead, Detroit came out and blitzed the Cavs, never giving them a chance to get their footing. They lost in an ugly fashion and now have to figure out a way to win a game on the road.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons during the second half of Game 5 in the second-round NBA playoffs in Detroit on May 13, 2026. (Duane Burleson/AP)
It isn’t just the Cavs’ fate that rests in this game. It is also the legacy of James Harden and, to a lesser extent, Donovan Mitchell.
We know that Mitchell is a very good player, but he isn’t regarded as one of the best players ever. Harden is. Unfortunately, Harden has struggled in Game 7s. He’s averaged 19.1 points, 7.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds. That’s not terrible, but looking at his shooting percentages, he is at 35.3% and 22.2% in those games. He actually is 4-4 overall in the games, but in his past three, he has scored a combined 34 points over 113 minutes.
The Detroit Pistons seem to like playing with their backs against the wall. They are a gritty team, so I suppose it makes sense.
Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren reacts after allowing a pass to go out of bounds in the second half of Game 4 of the second-round NBA playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland on May 11, 2026. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)
Cade Cunningham continues to deliver for the team, and he finally got some help in Game 6 from Jalen Duren. This was never going to be an easy series for Duren, but it feels like he is taking more time to mature than others. He definitely improved this year, but the consistency they need from him just isn’t there yet.
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Now as the team goes home they will need Duren to be a beast on the glass. If he can keep the Pistons in the rebounding battle, they should win this game with ease. They won Game 6 by just three rebounds, but that takes away a big dimension of what Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley do for the Cavs. It isn’t everything, though, as the Pistons won the rebounding battle in both losses in Cleveland.
I don’t see this being a runaway game for the Pistons. Mitchell and Cunningham likely will cancel each other out with scoring. Harden needs to establish himself as the third-best player on the floor. I haven’t seen him do that in the postseason, yet.
Cleveland Cavaliers All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden talk during Game 2 in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs vs. the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Ohio. (David Dermer/Imagn Images)
This is the second Game 7 of the playoffs for both of the clubs, so it isn’t like either will be caught off guard about what this entails.
If I look at it objectively, I think the Cavs have the better players. However, the Pistons have looked significantly better this season, and definitely in the playoffs overall. Both are prone to issues and slipping. The Cavs shouldn’t be as they are a veteran team.
This game has to be won by Cleveland, though. There is too much riding on the franchise and legacies of guys for them to not prepare properly for it. Maybe that’s weak analysis, but I’m taking the Cavs with the points and I do think they win outright. I expect a monster game from Mitchell, and Harden should get 10+ assists.
Either way, whoever wins will lose to the New York Knicks.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
FIRST ROUND
DIVISION 1
Murrieta Mesa 10, Valley View 0
Orange Lutheran 10, Millikan 0
Chino Hills 2, El Modena 1
Etiwanda 14, Agoura 13
Palos Verdes 3, Riverside King 2
Cypress 4, Fullerton 2
Ayala 11, Charter Oak 1
Riverside Poly 7, California 3
Norco 2, Marina 1
DIVISION 3
Rancho Cucamonga 9, Paloma Valley 1
Great Oak 5, West Torrance 2
Edison 8, El Segundo 5
El Toro 9, Colton 0
Murrieta Valley 9, Redondo Union 8
North Torrance 5, Beaumont 0
West Ranch 7, Trabuco Hills 6
San Juan Hills 8, Riverside North 7
Oak Park 10, Cerritos Valley Christian 4
Highland 7, Northview 2
La Serna 4, Carter 0
Dos Pueblos 5, Crescenta Valley 0
Liberty 10, Arcadia 3
DIVISION 5
Anaheim 11, Flintridge Sacred Heart 0
Patriot 11, Arrowhead Christian 9
Temple City 9, Rancho Christian 6
Grace 11, Buena Park 0
Crean Lutheran 3, Alemany 2
Shadow Hills 8, Cerritos 3
San Marcos 10, Leuzinger 0
South El Monte 7, Long Beach Wilson 5
Covina 11, Garden Grove Santiago 1
Muir 8, Rio Hondo Prep 7
Santa Monica 6, Katella 5
Ontario 6, Norwalk 2
Northwood 18, Duarte 11
DIVISION 7
Bloomington 9, Fillmore 8
Miller 11, Savanna 3
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 11, Riverside Springs Magnolia 4
Faith Baptist 18, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 4
Twentynine Palms 16, Rancho Alamitos 15
Riverside Notre Dame 12, Costa Mesa 2
Firebaugh 9, Pioneer 8
Chadwick 6, Desert Christian Academy 1
Cathedral City 2, Artesia 1
Orange 9, Bellflower 3
Santa Ana 10, Hawthorne 0
Culver City 9, Temecula Prep 8
DIVISION 8
Banning 20, Redlands Adventist 3
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 3:15 p.m. unless noted)
SECOND ROUND
DIVISION 1
La Habra at Murrieta Mesa, noon
Chino Hills at Orange Lutheran
Etiwanda at Westlake
La Mirada at Palos Verdes, noon
Garden Grove Pacifica at Cypress, noon
Ayala at JSerra
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Oaks Christian, 1 p.m.
Norco at Riverside Poly
DIVISION 2
Bonita at Ganesha, 11 a.m.
Whittier Christian at Warren
Simi Valley at St. Paul
Moorpark at Lakewood St. Joseph, 11 a.m.
Temescal Canyon at San Clemente, 12:30 p.m.
Huntington Beach at Camarillo, Monday
Saugus at Vista Murrieta, 12:30 p.m.
Mater Dei at Gahr, noon
DIVISION 3
Great Oak at Rancho Cucamonga
Edison at El Toro, Monday
Murrieta Valley at North Torrance
West Ranch at San Juan Hills
Riverside Prep at Oak Park, 12:30 p.m.
La Serna at Highland
Dos Pueblos at La Salle, Monday
Villa Park at Liberty, 1 p.m.
DIVISION 4
St. Bonaventure at Harvard-Westlake, 11 a.m.
Apple Valley at Oxnard
Don Lugo at Monrovia, 1:30 p.m.
La Quinta at Mira Costa
Rio Mesa at Mission Viejo, 10 a.m.
Oak Hills at Sunny Hills
Ramona at Paramount
Burbank Burroughs at Rosary, Monday
DIVISION 5
Anaheim vs. Santa Clara at Beck Park
Temple City at Patriot
Crean Lutheran at Grace
Viewpoint at Shadow Hills
San Marcos at Irvine University, noon
South El Monte at Covina
Santa Monica at Muir, 10:30 a.m.
Northwood at Ontario, 1 p.m.
DIVISION 6
Irvine at Lakeside
Alhambra at Heritage
Eastside at Granite Hills, noon
El Monte at St. Genevieve
Sierra Vista vs. Southlands Christian at Brea Canyon Cutoff Rd
Hesperia Christian vs. St. Monica Prep at Memorial Park, 2 p.m.
Arroyo at Lancaster
San Jacinto at Jurupa Valley
DIVISION 7
Bloomington at Ramona Convent
Miller at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel
Faith Baptist at Twentynine Palms, Monday
Firebaugh vs. Riverside Notre Dame at Ramona
Chadwick at Cathedral City
Orange at Victor Valley, 11 a.m.
Santa Ana at Culver City, Monday
Windward at Edgewood, Monday at 3:30 p.m.
DIVISION 8
ACE at Avalon
Bolsa Grande vs. San Bernardino, Monday at San Bernardino College
Workman at Glendale
Cobalt at Santa Rosa Academy
Bell Gardens vs. Brentwood at John Anson Ford Park
Pomona Catholic vs. Capistrano Valley Christian at Laguna Hills, 2 p.m.
Fontana at Banning
Hawthorne MSA at Arroyo Valley, 1 p.m.
Note: Quarterfinals May 20; Semifinals May 23; Finals May 28-30 at Bill Barber Memorial Park, Irvine.
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After a slow first round at Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia on Thursday, pace of play was a point of emphasis at the PGA Championship on Friday.
However, when an official approached Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley, they became animated.
Thomas, a longtime Team USA Ryder Cup member, and Bradley, last year’s United States captain, were on the fourth hole when they were approached by an official in a cart, and the conversation quickly turned into finger-pointing.
Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley watch from the tenth green during the second round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown, Pennsylvania, on May 15, 2026. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Thomas said after the round that he, Bradley and fellow USA Ryder Cupper Cameron Young, who won the Cadillac Championship earlier this month, were put on the clock, with the official telling them to pick up the pace. However, both Bradley and Thomas appeared to point at the group in front of them.
“We just didn’t really agree with it,” Thomas said, citing course conditions, high winds and tough pins. “We were behind. That wasn’t our issue… It’s just the fact that we weren’t holding up the group behind us.”
Thomas said they were caught up with the pace on the very next hole.
Justin Thomas plays his shot on the 15th tee during the second round of the PGA Championship in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on May 15, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
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Thomas had a lengthy conversation with the official, while Bradley appeared to make his point short and sweet — though he was definitely not happy with the call.
It is a large PGA Championship field, with 156 golfers at the course and groups even starting their rounds on the back nine. The scores have also been rather high, with just 25 players below par at the time of publishing.
Aronimink also features a shared tee box on 1 and 10, holes 9 and 17 crossing paths, and a lengthy par-3 eighth hole that’s causing problems. Three par-3s are over 200 yards on the course, and there is also a 457-yard par 4 on the fourth.
Keegan Bradley prepares to putt on the 14th green during the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on May 14, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
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As Chris Gotterup put it on Friday, “You’re not going to get any four-and-a-half hour rounds out here.”
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