The Sixers sure did not strike out in their pursuit of a third star.
After declining his Clippers player option, Paul George has agreed to sign a four-year, $212 million contract with the Sixers, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia early Monday morning.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the news.
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George is a native of Palmdale, California, and played the past five seasons in Los Angeles. However, he’s set to join the Eastern Conference for the first time since his final Pacers season in 2016-17.
The Clippers reportedly remained unwilling to offer the four-year contract George wanted. The team released a statement Sunday night acknowledging there was a “significant” gap between the sides in negotiations. That left the door open for the Sixers and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who intentionally entered this offseason with close to zero roster certainty and sizable cap space.
Last season, George made his ninth career All-Star Game. Joel Embiid reached his seventh and Most Improved Player Tyrese Maxey earned his first selection.
“I would say the biggest need is not at (Embiid or Maxey’s) position — someone at the wing who can play and deliver at a high level in the playoffs,” Morey said in May at his end-of-season press conference.
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Health permitting, the Sixers will be optimistic about George’s specific skills coming to Philadelphia. He averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game last year, and he shot 41.3 percent from 3-point range on 7.9 attempts per game. George has proven capable of meshing alongside fellow stars, playing a larger role when injuries arise, and effectively defending top wings and forwards.
Like the Sixers, George’s 2023-24 season ended with a first-round playoff exit. He’s never been to the NBA Finals and the Sixers haven’t been past the second round of the playoffs since 2001.
Now, both parties will hope George’s dramatic move East results in a big breakthrough.
The Sixers have also agreed to re-sign Kelly Oubre Jr. and to add Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon. As they build around the new trio of Embiid, Maxey and George, there's plenty more free-agent action on deck.