Paul George: ‘I Wanted to Be Traded to San Antonio’

Paul George initially wanted to join Kawhi Leonard in San Antonio.

“We wanted to go to San Antonio first,” George recalls of his initial trade demand from the Indiana Pacers back in June 2017.

PG says he and Leonard—the LA Clippers’ new superstar duo will hit the floor together for the first time Wednesday night—were “destined” to join forces.

Per ESPN:

“I wanted to be traded to San Antonio,” George says. “We wanted to go to San Antonio first, and we didn’t make that happen.”

A league source confirmed that the Pacers and Spurs talked, but San Antonio lacked the assets to pair George with Leonard. The Lakers also wanted George, but then team-president Magic Johnson would not trade the 2017 second overall pick (which would become Lonzo Ball) and Brandon Ingram, believing the team could eventually sign George as a free agent.

“As far as the Lakers, I wanted to go to L.A.,” George says. “They didn’t make that happen. They didn’t put nothing together. So that’s in the back of my mind [when I became a free agent]. That was in the back of my mind.”

Sam Presti of the Oklahoma City Thunder would eventually swoop in and acquire the Pacers star, but the idea of teaming up with Leonard lingered.

“Just seems like it was destined,” George said when officially introduced to L.A. “We were supposed to play together.”

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