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NBA Rumors: Nuggets Consider Paul George Trade; Negotiations with the Clippers have not progressed | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

NBA Rumors: Nuggets Consider Paul George Trade; Negotiations with the Clippers have not progressed | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – OCTOBER 27: Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers warms up before the game against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on October 27, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that by downloading and/or using this photograph, User agrees to the terms of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Justin Casterline/Getty Images

While the Golden State Warriors were already known to be in the market for Paul George this offseason, there was another Western Conference contender also trying to land the nine-time All-Star.

According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Denver Nuggets asked the Los Angeles Clippers for information on George before he opted out of his contract and became a free agent.

Shelburne noted that talks between the Nuggets and Clippers “never escalated” because Denver refused to discuss Christian Braun, Peyton Watson or Julian Strawther. The Clippers weren’t interested in a deal that would only return them salaries that Denver didn’t want to pay.

It’s unclear exactly what salary the Nuggets would offer, but Shelburne noted that it would “most likely” be Michael Porter Jr. and Zeke Nnaji if negotiations got that far.

It remains to be seen whether George wanted to play in Denver. That scenario would depend on him agreeing to a $48.8 million salary for 2024-25.

We know this scenario would be in play if the Warriors were able to make a deal with the Clippers, because George admitted that such a deal was “close to being done” but it fell apart when Golden State refused to include Jonathan Cuminga in the package. .

George eventually took advantage of his waiver and signed a four-year, $211.6 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent.

The Nuggets’ decision to bet heavily on their young, unproven talent in Nikola Jokic hasn’t yielded good results so far. They are off to a 2-2 start and rank 13th in offensive rating despite the reigning NBA MVP averaging 31.5 points, 12.3 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game.

It’s not entirely the fault of struggling young players like Strawther and Watson. After a summer of worry about how he finished last season and how he looked in the Olympics, Jamal Murray still doesn’t look his best with a 37.9 field goal percentage. Porter is making 29.6% of his three-point attempts.

Russell Westbrook is minus-38 in 79 minutes off the bench. He has been better in the last two games because in the first two games he was minus 37 in the 41st minute.

George won’t help right now because he’s sidelined by a knee injury, but his ceiling when healthy is higher than anyone on the Nuggets roster since Jokic.

Instead, the Nuggets are considering wasting Jokic’s prime year because they wanted to try the dual-time frame idea that nearly derailed the Warriors.