According to sources who spoke to ESPN early on Monday morning, free agency forward Paul George and the Philadelphia 76ers have reached an agreement on a four-year, $212 million maximum contract.
George returns to the Eastern Conference to team up with MVP center Joel Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey in an attempt to upset the NBA champion Boston Celtics.
According to sources, Paul George’s contract includes a player option for the last season in 2027–2028.
According to sources, George met with a group of 76ers representatives in Los Angeles, including general manager Elton Brand, owner Josh Harris, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, and Sixers great Julius Erving. George’s agent is Aaron Mintz of CAA. Sources claimed that the Sixers also brought in front office executive Peter Dinwiddie, a buddy and well-known figure to George from their time spent together with the Indiana Pacers.
Following months of fruitless negotiations over George’s desire to remain in his Southern California home, the LA Clippers and George met.
An explosive lead guard in Maxey, a superb two-way wing player in George, and a powerful big man in Embiid make up one of the most formidable big threes in recent NBA history. Embiid, Maxey, and George were All-Stars the previous season.
Nine-time All-Star George, 34, averaged 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in 263 regular-season games with the Los Angeles Clippers over his five seasons with the team.
But now George, traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017 before a trade to the Clippers two years later as part of LA’s move to sign Kawhi Leonard as a free agent, has moved on. The Clippers and George had been speaking for months about a potential deal but never came close to an agreement. George wanted four years on a new deal, and the Clippers offered three, sources said.
The Clippers issued a statement Sunday saying that Paul George had told them he planned to sign with another team.
Paul is a fantastic player who can play both ways and has boundless talent. The Clippers stated, “We consider ourselves lucky to have had him for five years.” “He played in three All-Star Games during that time, made the most 3-pointers in the history of the team, and guided the team to a level it had never reached before. For those connected to the Clippers, his performances in Games 5 and 6 against Utah in 2021 will live on.
In exchange for five seasons of contention, we made a lot of trades to pair Paul with Kawhi Leonard. Our ultimate goal was not achieved, but we are grateful for the opportunities we had with Paul.”
George will now be looking to join Embiid and Maxey in Philadelphia in achieving their ultimate goal: winning an NBA title. George’s presence might provide the Sixers with enough strength to defeat the Celtics.
One significant development for George late on Sunday, according to sources, was the Sixers’ agreement to pay shooting guard Kelly Oubre Jr. $16.3 million over two years. According to insiders, the 76ers also came to terms on Sunday with center Andre Drummond and guard Eric Gordon, who has experience.
George, who was selected by the Pacers with the 10th overall pick in 2010, has emerged as one of the NBA’s best wing players, despite missing out on the 2014 FIBA World Cup due to a severe leg injury.
George joins LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis as the only players to have made at least nine All-Star teams since their league debut. In addition, he has been selected to the All-NBA six times, with a first-team selection in 2019.
George has made a name for himself in the league as one of the best two-way perimeter players after missing the majority of the 2014–15 campaign. This past season, he averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.