OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Oklahoma City Thunder guard Paul George didn't even entertain the idea of joining the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent this summer.
And the five-time All-Star said that didn't sit well with the Lakers' top brass.
"LA was pissed at me," George said Wednesday on a "Short Story Long" podcast. "I didn't give Magic (Johnson) a (meeting), which I understand. But at that point, I knew I wanted to give (playing with the Thunder) another shot. I didn't want to prolong it and waste people's time."
George, a Palmdale, Calif., native who grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant, told the Indiana Pacers last offseason he intended to sign with his hometown Lakers — ultimately prompting his trade to Oklahoma City in July 2017.
George previously told USA TODAY Sports of his decision to not seek a meeting with Johnson, the Lakers' president, and general manager Rob Pelinka: "Coming down to free agency and before it was about to open (on July 1), I felt really good where I was at. I felt I was in a good place in Oklahoma. I wanted to come back to LA. That story was true. The narrative on that was true.
