With Paul George set to hit free agency next summer, speculation surrounding his future will swirl throughout the season.

It is widely believed that the 27-year-old has his heart set on joining his hometown Los Angeles Lakers, which is why he was unwilling to commit to the Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers were left with no option but to trade the small forward and shipped him to the Oklahoma City Thunder during the offseason.

PG13 has been impressed with his new franchise and is enjoying being in a different environment and playing with a star-studded team that features the reigning MVP Russell Westbrook and veteran Carmelo Anthony.

Since joining OKC, George has dropped some subtle hints that he could potentially stay with the Thunder for the long-term and did so again recently.

In a speech to a group of kids at a fishing event for his foundation, the four-time All-Star said: "Oklahoma is home for me."

“I’ve yet to really be able to get out and around and do as much fishing as I want,” he told reporters after the speech, per Fred Katz of the Norman Transcript. “Hopefully, there’s a summer for that here that I can do that.”

The California native is already used to the rumours surrounding his free agency and is taking it in his stride.

“I’ve been so used to that type of chatter, being in Indiana, the whole L.A. [thing], I’ve been used to that,” he said. “So, it doesn’t get to me. At the end of the day, it’s my decision, and I’ve always been happy where I’m at and what decision I make. So, I’m happy. Put it like that. I’m happy.”

Despite these encouraging words for Oklahoma City fans, the former Indiana star is still expected to hit the open market and assess his options as an unrestricted free agent in 2018.

The Lakers will make a big push to land George with their healthy cap space and if the reports are to be believed, the interest is mutual.

But for now, the All-NBA forward's sole focus is on the Thunder and recently produced his best performances with the team in his last two outings.

George helped them snap a four-game losing streak by posting 42 points in a win over Los Angeles Clippers and 37 against the Dallas Mavericks.

He's currently averaging a team-leading 22.5 points per game and the outcome of this season will go some way to determining where he'll be playing his basketball in the years to come.