Paul George turns 36 this season carrying a $54.1M salary and a 37-game season behind him. The advanced numbers, a 115.0 offensive rating and a 57.0 true shooting mark, describe a capable third option, not a lead one.
A partial season is the whole caveat on this roster spot.
In his 16th professional season, George, 36, arrived in the trade that sent Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia along with four draft picks, two firsts and two seconds, and he now wears number 8 as the wing scorer next to Tatum and Derrick White. His last season line, 37 games at 30.7 minutes, 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, is a full row of production squeezed into less than half a season. Boston lists him as not on the injury report entering camp, which says nothing about what limited him last year, only that his record is clean today.
His shooting profile fits a lower usage than his reputation suggests.
Usage sat at 22.9 percent last season, a true shooting mark of 57.0 percent built on 6.9 three-point attempts a game and an 82.0 percent free-throw clip. His assist rate, 17.5 percent, and rebound rate, 8.1 percent, are complementary-scorer touches, not a first option's diet, useful next to a healthy Tatum.
His individual efficiency lagged the offense around him.
George's offensive rating of 115.0 sat below the 120.0 mark Boston posted as a team last season, and his defensive rating of 111.4 nearly matched the team's 111.7. His own scoring differential closed at 3.6, modest against the 8.3 the roster produced as a whole, with 1.7 steals, 0.4 blocks and 1.7 turnovers rounding out a low-mistake, low-disruption profile.
The contract makes him practically permanent, regardless of role.
George is signed for $54.1M this season and holds a $56.6M player option for 2027-28, the second-largest number on the books after Tatum's $58.5M. That deal, agreed before training camp opened, outlasts any battle for minutes this fall.
How many games did Paul George play last season?
37 games, averaging 30.7 minutes and 17.3 points.
What is Paul George's contract situation?
He is owed $54.1M in 2026-27 and holds a $56.6M player option for 2027-28.
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