“It’s a bad combo to be statue-less and ringless and oddly also the GOAT” - Kevin Wildes on the current status of Paul George’s NBA career

It's official. Paul George is off to his fourth team, leaving the Los Angeles Clippers to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. Still, his goal of winning a championship likely remains the same; he would just be doing it with a different set of stars. However, George's decision to bounce around the league in pursuit of a ring may have affected how some people have perceived him and his career.

Interestingly, some players nowadays see him as the greatest of all time (GOAT). But there are folks around the NBA who think it would have been better for him to have stayed loyal than jump from one squad to another. Kevin Wildes of "First Things First" even wondered what PG's legacy would have been had he remained with the organization that drafted him, the Indiana Pacers .

"He's been on this low-key ring-chase since he left Indiana," Wildes said about George on Bill Simmons' podcast before the free agent signing. "... If he goes ringless, let's say, just fast forward George's career, do you think that he looks back and says, 'You know what? I could have been like Reggie Miller. I could have been the next guy in Pacers history and just been a one-team guy and just been a legend and got a statue?' Right now, Paul George is just roaming statue-less and ringless. It's a bad combo to be statue-less and ringless and oddly also the GOAT."

George on the pedestal

The nine-time All-Star's legacy is somewhat of a mixed bag at the moment. He is undoubtedly one of the most talented guys to play in his era, holding elite skills on both ends of the floor. Moreover, he had become celebrated for leading the Pacers to two consecutive conference finals appearances despite arguably being their lone star in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.

George's on-court abilities and leadership are likely a couple of the reasons some youngsters today view him as the best basketball player ever. Brandon Miller is one of those who hold that belief , as well as Carmelo Anthony's son, Kiyan.

But despite PG's illustrious career so far, he still doesn't have a sweeping achievement to show for it. He hasn't been to a Finals despite having played with Russell Westbrook on the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kawhi Leonard (and eventually James Harden) in LA. And as Wildes alluded to, the star doesn't have a case as the GOAT of any of the franchises he suited up for.

Related: Patrick Ewing on how Larry Bird surprised him when he joined the NBA: “Whatever you were saying for a man who can’t jump, he’s demolishing everybody”

George on the Sixers

Maybe the tide will turn for the 34-year-old pro now that he is set to join Philadelphia . He will go from playing alongside Leonard to joining forces with Joel Embiid, another injury-prone superstar. The good news is that he is now part of a Big 3 of in-prime guys, as Tyrese Maxey has proven to be one of the best guards in the Association today.

While George has no more opportunity to one-up Miller and get a statue from the Pacers, he does have a chance to earn an achievement that the Hall of Famer chased yearly but never caught: an NBA title.

Related: "You know how soft that team gonna be if he and Embiid go together?" - Evan Turner doesn't think a Paul George-Joel Embiid duo would work