The post Sixers add third star as Paul George signs four-year deal appeared first on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers made every effort to acquire a third star.
Paul George agreed to a four-year, $212 million contract with the Sixers after declining his player option with the Clippers., A source confirmed this to NBC Sports Philadelphia early Monday morning.
The news was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
George, a Palmdale, Calif., native, has played the past five seasons with Los Angeles, but will be joining the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2016-17, his final season with the Pacers.
The Clippers reportedly were not willing to offer George the four-year contract he wanted. The team released a statement Sunday night acknowledging “significant” differences in negotiations between the two sides. That opened the door for the Sixers and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who purposefully entered this offseason with little to no roster certainty and plenty of cap space.
Last season, George made his ninth All-Star Game appearance, Joel Embiid his seventh and Most Valuable Player Tyrese Maxey his first.
“I don’t think our biggest need is at the position (Embiid or Maxey),” Morey said at his end-of-season press conference in May. “We need a wing player who can play at a high level and produce results in the playoffs.”
Health permitting, the 76ers will be banking on George’s special skill set when he comes to Philadelphia. Last year, he averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 41.3 percent on 7.9 three-point attempts per game. George has proven his ability to work well with other stars, take on a larger role when injuries occurred and effectively guard top wings and forwards.
Like the 66ers, George’s 2023-24 season ended with a first-round playoff exit. He has never appeared in the NBA Finals, and the 66ers haven’t made it past the second round of the playoffs since 2001.
Now both parties are hoping that George’s dramatic move eastward will bring about major breakthroughs.
The Sixers also agreed to re-sign Kelly Oubre Jr. and add Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon. As they build their team around the new trio of Embiid, Maxey and George, they will likely continue to make moves to acquire free agents.
