The 9-time All-Star reportedly joins forces with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, positioning Philadelphia as a serious contender in the East.
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer breaks down how the 76ers’ reported deal with Paul George impacts the team.
Philadelphia president of basketball operations Daryl Morey pinpointed his team’s most pressing need after the 76ers’ first-round exit in the 2024 playoffs, before quickly filling it Monday by reportedly bringing aboard star forward Paul George on a four-year max contract.
The move gives the Sixers, who are already in win-now mode, a shot at advancing past the conference semifinals for the first time since 2001, while threatening Boston’s prospects for repeating as champions. Philadelphia finds itself now alongside the Celtics and New York Knicks as legitimate contenders in the East.
On paper, at least.
“I owe it to the fans, to ownership, to everybody to get this team in a place where we’re competing for championships,” Morey said in May. “We’re very well situated to use all the tools – trade, free agency, draft – to upgrade the team, and we’re going to put every single effort into that.”
Morey demonstrated as much with the acquisition of George, 34, to play alongside 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid, and rising star Tyrese Maxey, who reportedly agreed Monday to a five-year extension. Maxey is fresh off a breakout campaign averaging career highs in scoring (25.9 points per game), assists (6.2) and rebounds (3.7) while winning Most Improved Player and earning his first All-Star nod.
George averaged 22.6 points last season with the Clippers. Toss in the scoring averages of Embiid (34.7) and Maxey, and the Sixers can count on somewhere around 83.2 points per game from a star trio leading a team that ranked 15th in points per game last season (114.6).
“The biggest need is not at [Embiid and Maxey’s] positions,” said Morey. [It’s] someone at the wing, who can play and deliver at a high level in the playoffs.”
George fits that bill, provided his health holds up. But nothing is guaranteed.
George and the Clippers fell in the first round last postseason, and the All-Star forward sat out of the 2023 playoffs due to a right knee injury. An elbow ailment limited George to 31 games in the 2021-22 season.
Coming off the most regular-season contests (74) he’s played since 2018-19, George (if healthy) still boosts Philadelphia’s hope for contention by providing optionality. When Embiid cooks in the post and Maxey attacks the rack downhill, both can still kick out on the perimeter to George, who scores comfortably on all three levels.
When Embiid misses games (he will, considering he’s played in 65 contests or more just twice), George can step into the role of primary scorer with ease like Maxey did for stretches last season when the big man sat.
With Embiid and Maxey set to carry most of the team’s scoring burden next season, George can also pour more of his energy into defending.
After all, the Sixers lost the ability to consistently match opposing athletic wings when they traded Ben Simmons in 2022 to the Brooklyn Nets. George alleviates that issue, while providing a deadly catch-and-shoot threat (45.5%) from 3-point range to take pressure off Maxey, 23, and Embiid.
“We want to open all the doors to make ourselves a contender,” Morey said. “But we can’t close all the future doors unless we think the moves we are doing can be the best team in the East, at least.”
This latest move accomplishes that prospect.
But Morey still needs to fill out the team around the edges, considering depth plays as important a role in a title run as the performances from the superstars. The club tipped off that endeavor over the weekend by reportedly coming to agreement on deals for Kelly Oubre Jr., Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond.
Oubre turned out to be the surprise signing of last summer, averaging 15.4 points last season and 5 rebounds over 68 games.
As for George, the Clippers quickly came to an agreement with teammate and former Sixer James Harden on a two-year deal, as LA became increasingly likely the nine-time All-Star would sign elsewhere.
“Paul is a tremendous talent and elite two-way player,” the LA Clippers said in a statement announcing George’s pending departure. “We traded a lot to pair Paul and Kawhi [Leonard], and in exchange, we had five seasons of contention.”
Morey and the Sixers think they can squeeze out a few more.
* * *
Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.
Hot news:
Hot news:
Breaking: Robert Downey Jr. Interested in Collaborating with Mel Gibson’s Non-Woke Production Studio
News
¿Por qué Nodal y Ángela Aguilar se separaron? Ella se reencuentra con Pepe Aguilar y lanza mensaje
Tras la polémica que desató la confirmación de romance con Nodal, Ángela Aguilar por fin se reencontró con su papá Pepe Aguilar frente al público luciendo anillo. Christian también envió un mensaje tras ‘separación’. Ángela Aguilar y Christian Nodal se…
Breaking: Robert Downey Jr. Interested in Collaborating with Mel Gibson’s Non-Woke Production Studio
In a surprising turn of events, Hollywood superstar Robert Downey Jr. has expressed keen interest in teaming up with Mel Gibson’s newly formed non-woke production studio, indicating his frustration with what he perceives as increasing wokeness in the film industry.The…
The Entire Internet Is Praising Las Vegas Aces Star Jackie Young For Her Shocking Behavior Towards Caitlin Clark That Was Caught On Camera
Jackie Young and Caitlin Clark (Photo via ESPN/Twitter) Much has been made about the way players have been treating Caitlin Clark. Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young changed that conversation with one move as she was given the task of guarding Indiana Fever star…
Breaking: Chiefs’ Coach Andy Reid Confronts Taylor Swift, “You’re Not A Good Role Model”
In a bizarre twist that seems more fitting for a celebrity gossip column than the sports section, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has made headlines by taking a controversial stance against pop superstar Taylor Swift. Known for his…
Breaking: Kid Rock Rejects Beyoncé’s $500 Million Offer to Promote ‘Cowboy Carter’, ‘Not Interested in That Crap’
In recent music industry news, Kid Rock has made headlines once again by turning down a lucrative offer from Beyoncé to promote her latest country album, “Cowboy Carter.” This unexpected rejection has sparked controversy and raised questions about the direction…
Breaking: Denzel Washington Launches Anti-Woke Academy Awards, “No Woke Nonsense Allowed”
In a bold and unexpected move, acclaimed actor and director Denzel Washington has announced the launch of a new awards show aimed at countering what he perceives as the overwhelming presence of “woke” culture in Hollywood. The “Anti-Woke Academy Awards,”…
End of content
No more pages to load