Ty Lue: Clippers ‘can’t wait to prove everyone wrong’ after Paul George leaves NBA FA | News, scores, highlights, stats & rumors

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue says Paul George’s decision to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent has given the Clippers even more motivation for the 2024-25 season.

“When you lose a guy of Paul George’s stature, people immediately think, ‘Oh, they can’t win or they’re not going to be competitive,'” Lue told ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “But that just challenges me more. Okay, people are discounting us or people don’t think we’re going to be good.

“That gives me an extra dose (of motivation). I can’t wait to prove everyone wrong.”

George announced in July that he would leave the Clippers after five seasons to sign a maximum four-year contract with the 76ers.

George leaves Los Angeles after earning his second straight All-Star nomination, and the ninth of his career. He averaged 22.6 points per game last season.

He also made 74 starts in the regular season, which was his healthiest season since his 2018-19 campaign with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In five seasons and 263 regular season games in Los Angeles, he averaged 23.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, providing a consistent offensive boost for the Clippers.

George originally had a $48.7 million option to remain with the Clippers for the 2024-25 season.

He said in July on Podcast P with Paul George that after the team was eliminated in six games in the first round by the Dallas Mavericks, the Clippers offered him a three-year, $150 million contract, but negotiations fell through after the team refused to agree to George’s requested no-trade clause.

An ESPN survey of 18 NBA coaches, scouts and executives in July found that four coaches said the Clippers had the worst offseason in the league given the loss of George as a free agent, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reported.

But the Clippers also made some positive moves this summer, including retaining two of last season’s stars: Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.

The Clippers also acquired a potential starter in Derrick Jones Jr., a top-five player for the Mavericks during their run to the 2024 Finals, while bolstering the team’s second unit with defensive-minded players like Kris Dunn and Nicolas Batum.

Lue needs both Harden and Leonard, who missed the 2024 Olympics in Paris with a knee injury but is reportedly fit for the start of the season, to help the squad move forward without George.

If Harden and Leonard can stay healthy, given the improvements they’ve made on defense, Lue hopes to lead this team back to the playoffs next spring along with his two remaining stars.