TODAY’S GAME

Paul George turned down one option and created a slew of new ones.

George has decided not to exercise his $20.7 million option for next season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, a person with knowledge of the situation said Thursday. George will become an unrestricted free agent Sunday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condi- tion of anonymity because neither George nor the team has publicly announced his decision. ESPN first reported George’s decision about the option year.

It was not an u nex- pected move for George, who averaged 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals for the Thunder this past season. By not opting in to the final year of his existing deal, George opens up an array of possibilities — such as going elsewhere, possibly the Los Angeles Lakers, or signing a new deal with Oklahoma City. He is also expected to be pursued by the Houston Rockets, who finished this past season with the NBA’s best regular-season record.

George may opt to sign a short-term deal, either with the Thunder or someplace else. He could also command as much as $176 million in a five-year deal if he chooses to stay in Oklahoma City and pair up with Russell Westbrook for years to come.

He will be one of the head- line attractions when the free-agent shopping period officially opens at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Sunday, along with LeBron James — assuming James chooses not to exercise his $35.6 million option for next season with the Cleve- land Cavaliers.

The Thunder have long maintained that they want to keep George, whom they acquired a year ago in a trade with the Indiana Pacers.

George is a five-time AllStar who just turned 28. For his career between Indiana and Oklahoma City, he’s averaged 18.6 points and 6.2 rebounds. Contributing Writer

Hunter Greene’s teammates made the visiting Great Lakes Loons well aware of who was starting for the Dayton Dragons on Wednesday night at Fifth Third Field.

“Diablo!,” Andy Sugilio shouted from the top step of the dugout after Greene touched 99 mph on the radar gun in the second inning.

“He’s a bad man!,” Miles Gordon hollered minutes later after Greene reached 100 on the radar gun for the first of four times on the night.

Greene was so in the zone, he said he didn’t hear the cheers from the mound, but when he went back to the bench after the inning, his teammates were happily willing to repeat the message.

“Those guys are hilarious in the dugout, and off the field they’re great teammates ... I got in the dugout they repeated it and it was pretty funny. I cracked a smile,” Greene said.

Greene had a lot to smile about following his latest start, which lasted six innings as the Dragons (3-4, 34-41) cruised to a 11-1 win, completing a three-game sweep of Great Lakes (0-7, 24-51).

Greene surrendered only three hits, two walks and a run while striking out seven. He threw 80 pitches as he lowered his ERA below 5.00 for the first time since the second game of the season. Dragons at Cubs, 7:05 p.m., 980 Greene’s ERA over his past three starts is 2.23.

The Loons learned early what they were in store in their first at-bats, with Greene throwing regularly between 95-98 mph.

Greene struck out two in the first innings, using a slider as his out pitch. That and his fastball were the only pitches he used in the start, according to Greene.

“All of my pitches were working pretty good,” Greene he said. “I pounded the zone and had a lot of confidence with the off-speed (pitches).”

With the Dragons scor- ing five runs in the bottom of the third, Greene waited at least 40 minutes to start the next inning, and he got into trouble early, walking the first two batters.

A confer e nce on the mound with pitching coach Seth Etherton and catcher Hendrik Clementina put Greene back on track as the prospect went on to strike out the side, pumping his fist in elation after getting the last out.

“To give up those two walks and then you got to dig deep down and go compete and go trust yourself and i was able to do that,” Greene said.

Greene also waited to start the fifth as the Dragons scored five more runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Greene, who said he hadn’t really encountered something like that before, even went to the bullpen to throw as Dayton’s offense mashed away at the Loons.

“It was a long time he waited in the dugout, but it’s just part of the learning experience ... and he did very good,” Dragons manager Luis Bolivar said.

Dragons tales: Dayton’s offense needed a night like this, and a pair of back-toback five-run innings was just what Bolivar had been hoping for.

“I was looking to open it up and hopefully this is the beginning for us,” Bolivar said.

Dayton took a 5-0 lead with the help of center fielder Andy Sugilio, who hit a tworun, 403-foot homer in the third.

The outfielder, who had been slowed by hamstring problems in the first half of the season, is healthy now, according to Bolivar.

“He’s a pretty good hitter, now he’s healthy ... and so now we can see what player he is,” he said.

Alejo Lopez and John Sansone each hit RBI doubles in the inning.

The hot bats carried over into the fourth, as Dayton scored five more times, including a two-run triple from Jose Garcia.