Paul George has decided on his new home, signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a four-year, $212 million contract, according to Adrian Wojnarowski .
"BREAKING: Free agent F Paul George has agreed on a four-year, $212 million maximum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. George committed in a meeting with Sixers officials and returns East to join Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in pursuit of an NBA title."
The 76ers and George have been linked as free agency partners for months, especially after it became clear the 76ers were leaving cap space open to sign a superstar in free agency. They have finally got their man, despite valiant efforts from teams like the Golden State Warriors to acquire George via trade before he declined a player option on his contract.
George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists this season, providing solid two-way play but it wasn't enough to get the Clippers past the first round with Kawhi Leonard out injured. The Clippers confirmed that George will be moving on from the franchise earlier today, with the official deal with the 76ers being announced now.
George will net over $50 million annually until 2028. His contract will start at $49.2 million this season , before increasing to $51.7 million in 2025/26, $54.1 million in 2026/27, and finally $56.6 million in 2027/28, when George will be 38 years old.
This is a major bet by the 76ers on George helping the team compete for a title soon, with aggressive moves being made by the franchise so far in free agency.
The Clippers have already started the process of replacing George, signing Derrick Jones Jr. on a three-year, $30 million contract at midnight. They need to make moves to replace the lost offensive contribution from George, but it's clear they're hoping to remain competitive.
The 76ers Have Had A Strong Free Agency
The Philadelphia 76ers entered free agency with nearly $80 million in cap space. All of the extra space has already been used up within the first 12 hours of free agency, with the franchise signing multiple players already.
Outside of George, the most significant signing has to be the return of Kelly Oubre Jr. on a two-year, $16.3 million deal. Oubre averaged 15.4 points and 5.0 rebounds last season, producing way above the minimum contract he had taken to join the 76ers late in the 2023 offseason.
New signings such as Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon add veterans who will shore up the team's rotation with quality players. Drummond averaged 8.4 points and 9.0 rebounds last season off the bench on the Bulls while Gordon averaged 11.0 points on the Phoenix Suns.
The franchise is widely expected to bring back Tyrese Maxey on a five-year, $205 million deal after they exhaust their space to sign free agents. Maxey took an All-Star leap last season, averaging 25.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.2 assists.
Along with George and Embiid, the 76ers already have a formidable seven-man rotation, eight if you include Paul Reed. This is the master plan Daryl Morey has been waiting to orchestrate.
By signing George from the Clippers, Morey has also inflated the value of the draft picks the Clippers sent him last season to acquire James Harden . The 76ers could use those valuable picks to make additional deals to bolster the core around Embiid and George, hopefully leading to the franchise's first Conference Finals appearance since 2001.
Related: 2024 NBA Free Agency: All The Deals Completed On Day 1
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