Paul George signing max contract with East contender
Forward Paul George.
The Sixers are signing free-agent star Paul George to a four-year, $212M maximum contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
George will return to the Eastern Conference for the first time since playing with the Pacers and joins a Sixers team led by superstar Joel Embiid and breakthrough star Tyrese Maxey.
According to Wojnarowski, George and his agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA, met with a contingent of Sixers officials, including Josh Harris, Daryl Morey, Peter Dinwiddie and Elton Brand along with franchise legend Julius Erving, and committed to Philadelphia. The fourth year of the deal includes a player option.
While the news isn’t exactly shocking since the Sixers were the only team with space that made sense for the nine-time All-Star after he and the Clippers split up on Sunday, it’s still a significant splash in the Eastern Conference.
Los Angeles released a statement earlier Sunday announcing George would be departing the Clippers to sign with another team.
The Clippers originally acquired George in the summer of 2019 in a trade that sent out multiple first-round picks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Thunder. The Clippers brought in George and Kawhi Leonard, who was fresh off winning a title with the Raptors.
George earned three All-Star nods in his five seasons with the Clippers, averaging 23.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists across 263 games with the franchise.
While the Clippers never wound up winning a title with George on the team, he did help lead the franchise to its first Western Conference Finals appearance in 2020-21.
The Clippers re-signed Leonard to a three-year contract extension during the season, but they couldn’t agree to a deal with George as the season wound to a close.
As explained earlier Sunday, the Clippers are being cautious about handing out contracts longer than three years given the restrictions the second apron imposes.
They didn’t feel comfortable giving more money or years than they gave Leonard, so George opted out of his player option and tested the market. Now, he’s going to be a Sixer, and the Clippers will continue to turn to other targets in free agency after agreeing to a contract with Derrick Jones Jr.
George holds career averages of 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 867 career NBA games. At 34 years old, George is cashing in on a max contract and pairs with Embiid and Maxey to try to rise up the Eastern Conference hierarchy.
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