The Philadelphia 76ers have found that third running partner for Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in NBA free agency.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Philadelphia has signed nine-time All-Star wing Paul George to a four-year, $212 million max contract.
It seemed to be trending in this direction after George opted out of his contract on Saturday. Initially, it seemed as if the Golden State Warriors were about to land George in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. But the two sides could not come to terms on the details of a trade. Instead, George reversed course and hit NBA free agency.
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Impact of the Philadelphia 76ers landing Paul George in NBA free agency
76ers front office head Daryl Morey pushed back against adding long-term contracts ahead of the in-season NBA trade deadline. He wanted flexibility heading into the summer. That’s why Philadelphia was able to sign George outright rather than pull off a sign-and-trade with Los Angeles.
It’s an absolutely huge move for a 76ers team that lost in the first round of the NBA Playoffs to the New York Knicks. They needed to find that third star to compete with the defending champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference moving forward.
- Paul George stats (2023-24): 22.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.5 APG, 47% shooting, 41% 3-point
Handing a four-year max contract to a player who just turned 34 years old is a risk. But it’s something the 76ers immediately pushed for after George opted out of his deal.
The big three of Embiid, Maxey and George should be enough to compete back east. However, Morey and Co. certainly have more work to do this summer. That’s for sure. This was just the start.