Free agent ahead Paul George has agreed on a four-year, $212 million most contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources advised ESPN early Monday morning.
George’s deal — which sources stated features a participant possibility on the ultimate season in 2027-28 — brings him again to the Japanese Convention to associate with MVP middle Joel Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey in pursuit of upending the NBA champion Boston Celtics.
George and his agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA, met in Los Angeles with a 76ers contingent that included proprietor Josh Harris, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, basic supervisor Elton Model and Sixers legend Julius Erving, sources stated. The Sixers even introduced a entrance workplace govt, Peter Dinwiddie, who’s a well-recognized face and buddy of George’s from their years along with the Indiana Pacers, sources stated.
The assembly got here on the heels of months of unsuccessful negotiations between George and the LA Clippers on a deal to remain in his Southern California dwelling.
Embiid, Maxey and George had been All-Stars final season and type one of the formidable huge threes in current NBA historical past — that includes a really perfect roster stability amongst an explosive lead guard in Maxey, an elite two-way wing participant in George and a dominant huge man in Embiid.
George, a 34-year-old nine-time All-Star, spent the previous 5 seasons with the Clippers and averaged 23 factors, 6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals over 263 regular-season video games with LA.
However now George, traded to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder in 2017 earlier than a commerce to the Clippers two years later as a part of LA’s transfer to signal Kawhi Leonard as a free agent, has moved on. The Clippers and George had been talking for months a couple of potential deal however by no means got here near an settlement. George wished 4 years on a brand new deal, and the Clippers provided three, sources stated.
The Clippers issued an announcement Sunday saying that George had advised them he deliberate to signal with one other staff.
“Paul is an amazing expertise and an elite two-way participant. We really feel lucky for the 5 years we spent with him,” the Clippers stated. Over that span, he went to 3 All-Star Video games, made essentially the most 3-pointers in franchise historical past and helped lead the staff to a spot it had by no means been. His performances in Video games 5 and 6 towards Utah in 2021 will not be forgotten by anybody related to the Clippers.
“We traded quite a bit to pair Paul and Kawhi [Leonard], and in alternate, we had 5 seasons of competition. Regardless that we fell in need of our final goal, we admire the probabilities we had with Paul.”
Now George will probably be hoping to succeed in that final goal — profitable an NBA championship — alongside Embiid and Maxey in Philadelphia. George’s arrival might give the Sixers the firepower to tackle the Celtics within the East.
One essential growth late Sunday for George, sources stated: the Sixers’ settlement on a two-year, $16.3 million cope with taking pictures guard Kelly Oubre Jr. The 76ers additionally reached agreements with veteran guard Eric Gordon and middle Andre Drummond on Sunday, sources stated.
For the reason that Pacers drafted him tenth total in 2010, George has grow to be one of many NBA’s preeminent wing gamers — even whereas recovering from a devastating leg harm suffered forward of the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
George is considered one of eight gamers to make a minimum of 9 All-Star groups since he entered the league, becoming a member of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis. He is additionally a six-time All-NBA choice, together with a first-team choice in 2019.
After lacking many of the 2014-15 season, George has reestablished himself as one of many prime two-way perimeter gamers within the league, averaging 22.6 factors, 5.2 rebounds and three.5 assists this previous season.