LA Clippers Paul George agrees to 4-year deal with Philadelphia 76ers. Here’s what we know
The 2024 free agency period has lived up to the hype and with that, the Clippers star has now moved to Philly, but what’s low down on his deal?
With the arrival of the Clippers star, one has to imagine that the 76ers have taken a significant step toward becoming contenders. Of course, given the magnitude of his contract, there will undoubtedly be an effect on how the franchise can construct its roster.
Paul George agrees to a hefty contract with the 76ers
Philly faithful awoke to some exciting news on Monday morning, after the Philadelphia 76ers made a major move in the free agency market during the night by securing the services of Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George on a four-year max contract.
As per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the deal is worth $212 million and follows on from a number of reports - including our own - about the interest out of Philly. Indeed, it’s understood that representatives from the Sixers met with George on Sunday night to hammer out the details. Among those present were 76ers owner Josh Harris, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, general manager Elton Brand, and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Julius Erving aka Dr. J.
Now, it’s worth noting that George had previously indicated that he wished to stay in LA, however, following months of negotiations there was no agreement on a contract, and with that, George took the decision to decline his $48.7 million player option and enter free agency on Saturday. Where the 76ers are concerned, it should be said that they are the team working with the most cap space in the league, something that allowed them to pursue a major impact player to place alongside former MVP Joel Embiid and the Most Improved Player of the Year for this most recent season, Tyrese Maxey.
Ultimately, it was a move that was not well received by the Sixers, but such is life in the league i.e., if a player and a team can’t come to an agreement, it’s time to move on, something that was acknowledged in a statement from the franchise. “Paul has informed us that he signing his next contract with another team. Paul is a tremendous talent and an elite two-way player. We feel fortunate for the five years we spent with him.” For the purpose of perspective, George, despite 14 seasons in the NBA is still by far one of the best two-way wins in the NBA. With that in mind, the prospect of him playing alongside Embiid and Maxey is frightening to say the least. In this most recent season the 34-year-old played in 74 games, averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest while shooting 41.3 percent from three-point range.