New Eastern Conference playoff team emerging as suitor for Paul George?

Jan 22, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; LA Clippers guard Paul George (13) brings the ball up court against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Paul George’s list of admirers continues to grow.

Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote on his Substack page this week that the Orlando Magic have been mentioned by various league observers as a potential free-agent suitor for the LA Clippers star George. Stein notes that the Magic are also in the mix for Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson, which had previously been reported.

The nine-time All-Star George can hit the open market this offseason by turning down his $48.8 million player option with the Clippers for next season. While the Clippers still have until the end of the month to give him a new extension before George can officially become a free agent, the fact that negotiations have dragged out this long lead many to believe that George is seriously entertaining the possibility of leaving L.A. For the time being, the attention has been focused on one main outside suitor for George.

But when it comes to the young Magic, who made the playoffs this year and won a division title with their 47-35 record, they can present a very strong case to George. Orlando has up-and-coming forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner who are capable of carrying much of the load on offense. That would free up George to play his more natural role of a secondary scorer with minimal ball-handling duties. George’s defense and three-point shooting ability would also plug a lot of holes for the Magic, who are amongst the most cap-space-rich teams in the NBA to boot.

George did notably have a very difficult time playing in Orlando during the 2020 bubble, but that may have been more because of the bubble setup than because of Orlando itself. If he wants to get paid and also be able to compete on an ascendant young team with a high ceiling, few options may be better for George than the Magic.