Jake Guentzel, Lightning agree to terms on contract
Sportsnet can confirm that the Tampa Bay Lightning and the scoring winger have come to terms on a contract, just hours after his rights were traded by the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Paul George sweepstakes appear to be happening in full force.
After declining his $48.7 million player option to return to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, it appears the 34-year-old won’t consider a long-term reunion either.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, George’s agent Aaron Mintz recently spoke with Clippers president Lawrence Frank which did not lead to movement toward a deal. Both sides acknowledged to Wojnarowski that a return was “unlikely.”
Minutes after Wojnarowski’s report, the Clippers said in a statement that “Paul has informed us that he is signing his next contract with another team … we negotiated for months … the gap was significant.”
Wojnarowski later added that without L.A. in the mix for the nine-time All-Star, the Philadelphia 76ers are “strong frontrunners.”
Philadelphia enters the off-season with the second-most cap space, according to Spotrac, and can offer George the four-year deal he appears to want that Los Angeles wasn’t willing to.
The Palmdale, Calif. native is planning to take free agent meetings with the 76ers and Orlando Magic beginning late Sunday night and Monday, according to Wojnarowski.
According to Law Murray of The Athletic, a decision could be made as soon as Sunday night and there are no other teams in the mix for George outside of Philadelphia.
After his first four seasons as a Clipper were plagued by injury, George was able to suit up for 74 games in 2023-24. The nine-time All-Star averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 47.1 per cent shooting from the field and 41.3 per cent from beyond the arc last season.
The Clippers originally acquired George in a trade with the Thunder in July 2020 to pair with free agent acquisition Kawhi Leonard.
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