Paul George agreed to a four-year, $212 million max contract to join the Philadelphia 76ers. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported early Monday.
George joins a 76ers team that includes seven-time All-Star and 2023 MVP Joel Embiid and All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey, the reigning NBA Most Improved Player. George’s addition restores the balance of power in the Eastern Conference, where the 76ers look to join the defending champion Boston Celtics as NBA title contenders.
George, a 6-foot-8 wing, remains one of the league’s top two-way players at 34 years old. He averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting a career-high 47.1% from the field and a career-high 41.3% from 3-point range last season. with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The transaction is the most important of the NBA preseason since teams were allowed to negotiate with players from other franchises starting Sunday. George, a nine-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA selection, opted out of the final year of his contract with the Clippers on Saturday. The Clippers announced Sunday night that negotiations with Paul had failed and that he would not return to the team.
Will George help deliver a title to Philadelphia?
Along with Embiid in the post and Maxey at point guard, George completes one of the NBA’s most formidable big three, although health will remain a concern. George played 74 games in 2023-24, but had not played more than 56 games in any of his previous four seasons.
A knee injury derailed Embiid’s MVP defense last season, limiting him to 39 games. Plagued by injuries throughout his career, Embiid has never played more than 68 games in a single season and has played 51 games or fewer in six of the 10 seasons since the 76ers selected him with the third pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. If both can stay healthy alongside Maxey… Who is expected to sign a maximum contract? With Philadelphia as a restricted free agent, the 76ers are projected as one of the top contenders for the NBA title.
What happens now with the Clippers?
George spent five seasons with Los Angeles alongside fellow All-Star Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers acquired George in a 2019 trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder in hopes he and Leonard could achieve the franchise’s first NBA title. Los Angeles sent Oklahoma City a blockbuster package that included five first-round draft picks, two pick swaps, Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who became a two-time All-NBA first-team selection and finalist for MVP.
With both stars plagued by injuries, the Clippers never reached the NBA Finals. His best effort with George and Leonard saw the Clippers advance to the Western Conference Finals in 2021, where they lost to the Phoenix Suns.
The Clippers made several moves at the start of free agency on Sunday, but none that would offset George’s departure. Los Angeles reportedly agreed to re-sign former MVP point guard James Harden in addition to reaching an agreement. with former Dallas Mavericks forward Derrick Jones Jr..
They also reportedly reached an agreement with former Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr., who is returning to the NBA after a year-long absence after facing domestic assault charges.
According to the Clippers, negotiations with Paul collapsed after months of negotiations. Wojnarowski reports that the Clippers did not reject a three-year contract offer, while George wanted the four-year deal he ultimately accepted with the 76ers.