The more time that passes without Paul George and the Clippers coming together on a contract extension, the more likely it becomes that deal never comes together.

At least, it seems that way, and not only to us, but perhaps to George himself.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported there is "a growing feeling" across the Association that George could pick up his $48.8 million player option to force the Clippers to trade him. This comes after what Stein reported as being months of "fruitless" extension negotiations.

If George didn't want to be in L.A., it would be in the Clippers' best interest to send him elsewhere. The Golden State Warriors, per Stein, are "aggressively" exploring trade options, and they surely aren't the only ones, since George is so easy to fit alongside fellow stars.

A trade could happen, but our crystal ball isn't buying it. George is probably frustrated that a deal hasn't come together yet, so this could be his attempt to raise some alarms within L.A.'s front office and perhaps spawn some urgency in those decision-makers to get a deal done.