NEWSLETTER
The biggest name on the free agent market has come off the board!
Veteran forward Paul George is heading from the West Coast to the East Coast and will join the Philadelphia 76ers on a four-year, $212 million contract. It was reported Sunday evening that the Clippers and George were headed for a breakup, and early this morning the deal with the Sixers came to fruition.
Not only did the Sixers get their guy in Paul George, but they also officially locked up star guard Tyrese Maxey on a max extension worth $204 million over five years. Maxey had a breakout year in Philly last season after the departure of James Harden and was a restricted free agent this offseason. He was never going to be going anywhere else this offseason, but now he and the Sixers have made it official.
Paul George Signs With 76ers
For a long time now, George to the Sixers seemed to be the most likely outcome of the 34-year-old’s free agency this offseason. The Clippers wanted to keep him, but only on their terms, which was the same three-year deal worth around $150 million. George really wanted to get to that fourth year, especially with this being likely his last chance to make a big free-agent payday. LA didn’t want to go to that fourth year. Philly was clearly willing to, and they’ll now be one of the favorites in the East behind the Celtics.
The two massive contracts in Philly today also likely takes them out of any Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan sweepstakes. The 76ers entered the offseason with the second-most projected cap space in the NBA behind only the Detroit Pistons. However, the addition of George and the extension of Maxey prices them out of either of those two players in all likelihood.
DeMar DeRozan was seen as a potential Paul George replacement in Los Angeles with the Clippers, but with the Clippers adding Derrick Jones Jr on a three-year, $30 million deal even that now seems like it might be getting less likely.
We’ll keep an eye on the DeMar market, but the moves of late last night and early this morning have thrown a wrench into things. What were seen as his potentially two most likely landing spots may be off the board.
Does that make a potential reunion with the Bulls more likely? I wouldn’t go that far. The Bulls are still not financially flexible, and their moves as of late (most recently agreeing to a deal with Pacers center Jalen Smith) signal a clear youth movement on the horizon.
