Philadelphia 76ers told Paul George deal will be a blessing and a curse by Skip Bayless

Skip Bayless believes the Philadelphia 76ers' huge deal to acquire free-agent star Paul George will come back to bite them, but feels the nine-time All-Star's arrival lays down a marker to the Boston Celtics.

The former Los Angeles Clippers star is set to put pen to paper on a four-year, $212 million maximum contract, according to ESPN, giving the Sixers another star talent alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey as they attempt to end the Boston Celtics' dominance in the Eastern Conference.

The deal was struck during a meeting in Los Angeles between George, his agent Aaron Mintz and the 76ers top brass including owner Josh Harris and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey . The 76ers pounced after the Clippers and George, 34, were unable to agree a contract extension despite months of talks.

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The Clippers confirmed George's exit on Sunday. A spokesman said: "Paul is a tremendous talent and an elite two-way player. We feel fortunate for the five years we spent with him. Over that span, he went to three All-Star Games, made the most 3-pointers in franchise history and helped lead the team to a place it had never been. His performances in Games 5 and 6 against Utah in 2021 won't be forgotten by anyone associated with the Clippers.

"We traded a lot to pair Paul and Kawhi [Leonard], and in exchange, we had five seasons of contention. Even though we fell short of our ultimate objective, we appreciate the chances we had with Paul."

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The deal will keep George under contract until he is 38 years old and it has been reported that he will also have a player option in the deal which could extend his stay. FOX Sports pundit Bayless says the deal could give the Sixers hope of toppling the Celtics in the immediate future, but the huge cost of the contract could prove damaging down the line,

"The Sixers way overpaid for Paul George at age 34 in his 15th season," Bayless posted on X. "They will regret having to pay him in his 18th and 19th seasons. But I give you this: HE DEFINITELY IMPROVES THEIR CHANCES OF BEATING BOSTON IN THE PLAYOFFS NEXT SEASON AND THE NEXT."

The Sixers have suffered huge frustration in the playoffs in recent seasons, failing to get beyond the conference semi-finals since they reached the finals in 2001.

But with another superstar talent added to Nick Nurse's roster, there will be renewed hope in Philadelphia that the team can compete with the best, particularly the Celtics who romped to the championship, decisively proving they were the best team in the NBA.