ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported early Monday that Paul George has agreed to a four-year, $212 million contract to join the Philadelphia 76ers.
George joins a 7-time All-Star and 2023 MVP Joel Embiid and All-Star point guard and reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Tyrese Maxey on the 76ers’ roster, which has overhauled the Eastern Conference and made the 76ers a favorite to join the defending champion Boston Celtics in the NBA title hunt.
George, a 6-foot-8 wing, remains one of the league’s best two-way players at age 34. Last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, he averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and a career-best 41.3 percent from three-point range.
The trade is the most significant of the NBA offseason 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.
Can George help bring a title to Philadelphia?
George, along with Embiid in the post and Maxey at point guard, would be one of the NBA’s most formidable big threes, but his health remains a concern. George is set to play 74 games in 2023-24 but never played more than 56 games in any of the four seasons prior to that.
A knee injury marred Embiid’s MVP defense last season, limiting him to 39 games. Embiid has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, never playing more than 68 games in a season and has played 51 or fewer games in six of his 10 seasons since the 76ers selected him third overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. If both players can stay healthy, along with Maxey, who is expected to sign a max contract with Philadelphia as a restricted free agent, the 76ers are projected to be one of the favorites to win the NBA title.
What’s next for the Clippers?
George spent five seasons in Los Angeles alongside fellow All-Star Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers acquired George in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019 in hopes that George and Leonard could help bring the team its first NBA title. Los Angeles sent Oklahoma City a blockbuster package that included five first-round draft picks, two draft swaps, Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a two-time All-NBA first-team selection and MVP finalist.
With both stars plagued by injuries, the Clippers never made it to the NBA Finals, and with the help of George and Leonard, the Clippers made it to the Western Conference Finals in 2021, where they lost to the Phoenix Suns.
The Clippers reportedly made several moves when free agency began Sunday, but none to counter George’s departure. Los Angeles also reportedly reached an agreement with former Dallas Mavericks forward Derrick Jones Jr. and to re-sign former MVP point guard James Harden.
They also reportedly agreed to a deal with former Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr., who will return to the NBA after a year-long absence due to a domestic violence allegation.
The Clippers said negotiations with Paul lasted several months before falling apart. Wojnarowski reported that the Clippers held back on their three-year offer, but George wanted the four-year deal he ultimately agreed to with the 76ers.
