Paul George: Not ‘Championship or Bust’ in OKC

Paul George has “got a lot to think about” as an unrestricted free agent this summer, but his future in OKC won’t come down to simply if the Thunder win the championship or not.

George likes what OKC is building, and says he’ll make his ultimate decision based on which direction the team is headed in after the season.

The All-Star forward has long been rumored to be eyeing the Los Angeles Lakers as a potential landing spot.

Per ESPN:

“I’ve got a lot to think about,” George told ESPN before the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 133-96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. “This summer will be huge. I’ve got a lot to think about. If we’re trending, if we’re going in the right direction, if I feel there is something that we’re building, and there’s a foundation — it would be kind of clueless, just stupid on my behalf to up and leave.

 

“I’m very conscious that we’re only together for a year so far, and we continue to go in an upward trend. It’s best to stick with what we have and work on building. So, I wouldn’t say it’s championship or bust, or championship and I’m out. It’s all about building. If I like where we’re building or the level that we’re going at, it would be stupid to walk away from that.”

 

Oklahoma City has surged of late, winning seven of its past nine games, and newcomers George and Carmelo Anthony have started to play better alongside [Russell] Westbrook.

 

“The biggest change was myself, Melo, telling Russ he has to be who he is,” George told ESPN. “All of us were kind of afraid to step on toes, deferring. I felt at times Russ was looking to get others involved when sometimes he has shots that he has to take, and it was throwing everybody out of rhythm. Now he knows that we got his back. We trust him, he trusts us. We got a rhythm. We’ve all been shooting the ball well lately. We’re in a group, we’re relaxed, we’re comfortable out there.”

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