Grade the Trade: Warriors land 9x All-Star in blockbuster three-team proposed deal

The first thing that must be stated is that Golden State cannot trade for Paul George right now. As a team above the second tax apron, they cannot aggregate salaries to match the six-time All-Star's $48.8 million deal should he opt in.

However, there will come a time once the new cap year rolls over that both the Warriors and the Clippers -- with Klay Thompson and James Harden as free agents -- will be below the apron. This is where a deal, as difficult as it may be, could be thrashed out. Let's evaluate the below proposed trade between the Warriors, Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers from all three sides of the equation.

Would the LA Clippers make the trade?

Perhaps once push comes to shove, the Clippers will offer George a max extension and he'll remain in LA alongside Kawhi Leonard and company. Yet if things are too far gone and there's the prospect of losing him for nothing in free agency, this is a trade where the franchise could make the best of a bad situation.

This deal would see them get Jerami Grant as a replacement -- someone who's not the caliber of George, but who is an above average starting forward, is slightly younger, and is on a more tolerable annual salary.

The 30-year-old has averaged over 20 points in three of the past four years, has shot over 40% from three-point range in each of the last two, and is a strong defender capable of guarding the opposition's best wing/forward.

Getting Grant, and two bench rotation pieces in Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney, isn't fair value for George in a normal scenario. But this isn't a normal situation and again, it might be a case of getting something decent in return if George puts enough pressure on. What about the Trail Blazers though?