Paul George is coming to Philly! The nine-time All-Star officially signed with the Philadelphia 76ers Monday morning agreeing to a four-year $212 million dollar deal. This comes after George declined his $48.7 million option for another season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Paul George Inks Deal With Philadelphia
Indeed, the battle for Paul George is over with Philadelphia securing their next star. The nine-time All-star player officially inked a deal with Philadelphia Monday morning according to sources. The 34-year old unrestricted free agent was scheduled to meet with the Clippers, Sixers, and Orlando Magic after Sunday’s 6pm start of free agency.
George was insistent on a four-year deal, L.A. however was not willing to budge. The Clippers did not want to offer George any more than the three-year, $152.3 million deal. The same deal Kawhi Leonard received. With neither sides willing to negotiate, George turned down his $48.7 million option for another season with the L.A.
The team offered this statement:
“We negotiated for months with Paul and his representative on a contract that would make sense for both sides, and we were left far apart,” the statement read. “The gap was significant. We understand and respect Paul’s decision to look elsewhere for his next contract. We explored an opt-in and trade scenario, but it would have left us in a similar position under the new CBA, with very little asset value to justify the restrictions.”
Subsequently, as expected and desired, Paul George opted to join the Philadelphia 76ers. He signed a four-year $212 million dollar deal, with a player-option in his final year.
An All-Star Trio
George joins Philadelphia star-players, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, thus forming an All-Star trio. Undoubtedly a strong presence on defense, his wing-span on the perimeter can be beneficial to the team. The six-time All-NBA selection and four-time All-Defensive pick averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals this season. He shot a career-best 41.3% on three-pointers.
Hopefully, we can get a glimpse of the old Paul George from his Pacer days. In any circumstance, his presence on the team will help the Sixers get one step closer to their ultimate goal: winning a championship. The last time the Sixers won a championship was 1983.
With this new All-Star trio, the Sixers have positioned themselves as top competitors in the 2024-2025 NBA season.