Paul George has agreed to a four-year, $212 million max contract to join the Philadelphia 76ers. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday morning.
George joins seven-time All-Star and 2023 MVP Joel Embiid and All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey on the 76ers team, the NBA’s most improved player. The addition of George resets the balance of power in the Eastern Conference, the 76ers are looking to join the champion Boston Celtics as contenders for the NBA title.
At 34, the 6-foot-8 George is one of the league’s premier two-way players. He averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 47.1% from the field and a career-high 41.3% from 3 last season with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The trade is the most important of the NBA offseason, as teams are 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 he would not be returning to the team.
Will George help deliver the title to Philadelphia?
Alongside Embiid in the post and Maxey at point guard, George completes one of the NBA’s most formidable big threes, albeit a health concern. George has played 74 games in 2023-24 but hasn’t played more than 56 games in each of the past four seasons.
A knee injury derailed Embiid’s defending MVP last season and limited him to 39 games. Embiid, who has been plagued by injuries throughout the season, has never played more than 68 games in a season and has played in 51 games or fewer in six of 10 seasons since the 76ers selected him with the No. 3 pick in the 2014 NBA draft. If both can stay healthy with Maxie – Who is expected to sign the highest contract? As a restricted free agent with Philadelphia – the 76ers project to be one of the top contenders for the NBA title.
What’s next for the Clippers?
George spent five seasons with Los Angeles alongside All-Star Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers traded George to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019, hoping he and Leonard could deliver the franchise’s first NBA title. Los Angeles sent Oklahoma City a blockbuster package including five first-round draft picks, two draft picks, two-time first-team All-NBA selection and MVP finalist Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
With both stars suffering from injuries, the Clippers did not reach the NBA Finals. Despite their best efforts with George and Leonard, the Clippers advanced to the Western Conference Finals in 2021, losing to the Phoenix Suns.
The Clippers made several reported moves when free agency began Sunday, but none of them were against George’s departure. In addition to the deal, Los Angeles has also reportedly agreed to re-sign former MVP point guard James Harden. With former Dallas Mavericks forward Derek Jones Jr.
They also reportedly agreed to a settlement with former Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr., who is returning to the NBA after a year away from domestic violence charges.
According to the Clippers, negotiations with Paul fell through after months of negotiations. According to Wojnarowski, the Clippers didn’t turn down a three-year contract offer, but George wanted a four-year deal, which he eventually agreed to with the 76ers.