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Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN
Free agent forward Paul George has agreed to a four-year, $212 million max contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources told ESPN early Monday.
George’s contract also includes a player option for the final season in 2027-28, according to sources, which would see him return to the Eastern Conference and team up with MVP center Joel Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey in an attempt to topple the NBA champion Boston Celtics.
George and his agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA, met in Los Angeles with a 76ers delegation that included owner Josh Harris, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, general manager Elton Brand and 76ers legend Julius Erving, according to sources. Also in attendance, according to sources, was front-office executive Peter Dinwiddie, a familiar friend of George’s from his days with the Indiana Pacers.
The meeting came on the heels of months of failed negotiations with the Los Angeles Clippers over a deal that would keep him in his Southern California home.
Embiid, Maxey and George were All-Stars last season and feature an ideal lineup with Maxey as an explosive lead guard, George as an elite two-way wing player and Embiid as a dominant big man, forming one of the most formidable big threes in recent NBA history.
The 34-year-old George, a nine-time All-Star, spent the past five seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 23 points, six rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 263 regular-season games.
But now George, who was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017 and then to the Clippers two years later as part of Los Angeles’ move to sign free agent Kawhi Leonard, is taking the next step. The Clippers and George had been in talks for several months about a potential contract but were never close to reaching an agreement. Sources said George wanted four years on his new deal and the Clippers offered three.
The Clippers released a statement Sunday saying George had told them he planned to sign with another team.
“Paul is an incredibly talented player and a premier two-way player, and we were fortunate to have him with us for the last five years,” the Clippers said. “During that time, he played in three All-Star Games, made the most three-pointers in franchise history and helped lead this team to unprecedented heights. His performances in Games 5 and 6 against Utah in 2021 will be memorable for everyone associated with the Clippers.”
“We made a lot of trades to pair Paul with Kawhi. [Leonard]Instead, we competed for five seasons. Although we fell short of our ultimate goal, I’m grateful for the opportunity that Paul and I had.”
Now, with Embiid and Maxey in Philadelphia, George hopes to achieve his ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship, and his addition could give the 66ers a fighting chance to challenge the Celtics in the East.
The key development for George late Sunday was the Sixers agreeing to a two-year, $16.3 million contract with shooting guard Kelly Oubre Jr., according to a source. The 76ers also reached agreements Sunday with veteran guard Eric Gordon and center Andre Drummond, according to a source.
George was drafted 10th overall by the Pacers in 2010 and has since developed into one of the NBA’s best wing players, even as he recovered from a devastating leg injury suffered ahead of the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
George is one of eight players to be selected to the All-Star team at least nine times since entering the league, joining LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, and is a six-time All-NBA selection, including a first-team selection in 2019.
After missing most of the 2014-15 season, George re-established himself as one of the league’s premier two-way perimeter players last season, averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.
