Paul George officially chooses his next NBA team
Jan 22, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; LA Clippers guard Paul George (13) brings the ball up court against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Paul George is officially heading to the City of Brotherly Love.
Adrian Wojnarowski reported late on Sunday night that the nine-time All-Star forward George has agreed to join the Philadelphia 76ers on a four-year, $212 million max contract. George reportedly committed to the deal during a meeting in L.A. with 76ers officials, including owner Josh Harris, president Daryl Morey, GM Elton Brand, and franchise icon Julius Erving.
Wojnarowski also notes that George’s new contract with Philly will come with a player option in the fourth and final year.
This had been the expected outcome for much of the weekend with the 34-year-old George. The LA Clippers announced Sunday afternoon that George was moving on from their team after five total seasons together (with the apparent sticking point being that the Clippers were only willing to go up to three years on a new deal for George). They have since agreed to a deal with a prominent George replacement at small forward as well. Since the Orlando Magic also spent their cap space on a different veteran wing in free agency, that effectively left the 76ers as the last suitor standing.
George will form a new Big Three in Philadelphia alongside center Joel Embiid and guard Tyrese Maxey. There is some clear risk when it comes to maxing out George through his age-37 season. While he is still an elite two-way wing, George also tends to be inconsistent, injury-prone, and unreliable in the playoffs. But after eyeing George for months (including some notable public recruitments), the 76ers are pushing their chips to the center of the table and going for it.
