Well, that’s it: the saga involving this offseason’s most coveted free agent has come to an end. Paul George, after two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder and five with the Los Angeles Clippers, returns to his native Eastern Conference, although not to the Indiana Pacers, but to the Philadelphia 76ers. Let’s look at why PG didn’t stay on the team with James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook, and talk about the Phils’ championship hopes with his new trio.
The Clippers management did not want to give George a maximum four-year contract, but was willing to offer only a three-year deal, as was Kawhi Leonard, who signed for three years and will receive $152.4 million in January. 2024. Paul, per Minuto, is already 34 years old, so it is important for the forward to get the best possible offer at the end of his career. In addition, a long-term contract is always a guarantee of the future, which is important not only for basketball players, but also for ordinary people.
More on George and the Clippers:
“It will cause a domino effect.” One superstar could change the future of several NBA teams.
The “sailboats” apparently decided that one traumatic leader was enough for them, and did not link their fate for the next few years with both guys, who could collapse at the most crucial moment and disappoint the team. The Clippers have freed up some space under the salary cap, but they still won’t have enough room to sign a player who can replace PG Philadelphia took advantage of the moment by creating the trio Joel Embiid – Tyrese Maxey – Paul George.
The Phillies only had one long-term contract: Embiid, the team had not yet officially extended Maxi, but this extension was postponed only to have more opportunities in the free agent market. The most famous NBA expert, Adrian Wojnarowski, reported that the Sixers and George will sign a four-year contract worth $212 million. The player option will apply until the final season. This is exactly what the striker was looking for at the end of his career. Plus, there aren’t as many competitive teams in the Eastern Conference as there are in the Western Conference, so you can try to compete for the championship here and now.
Let’s not forget that George and Embiid worked together on ESPN’s studio coverage of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks. Joel said on one of his broadcasts that Boston beat Phil too often and hurt him, so in the offseason the team will look for ways to improve and add some missing pieces. After these words, Fila’s center pointed at George with his eyes, hinting that he would become the final puzzle of the big picture.
Previously, Philadelphia managed to agree to a contract extension with Kelly Oubre for two years and worth $16.3 million. With the arrival of general manager Daryl Morey, the Pennsylvania club stopped overpaying its role players. What can we say about Tobias Harris, who received almost 38 million dollars for the 2023/2024 season? People new to the team prefer to rely on proven playoff fighters. George is a tough guy who fought with the best LeBron James in Indiana. It is clear that PG is older, but the forward continues to give results on both sides of the field. Phil needed a two-way player who could help where needed. In addition, Paul is an excellent player who can take the ball in his hands at the most crucial moment. This is exactly what was missing from Embiid, who shined throughout the game, but disappeared at the end.
On paper, the Philly trio of superstars looks great. It just remains to be seen if injuries don’t interfere, as they did in Phoenix with Durant, Booker and Beal. So far, only Maxi is not suffering from various types of injuries, and the other two are not exactly injured, but close to it. It will be interesting to see the Phils with such a trio led by Nick Nurse, a coach who has already become an NBA champion and has a lot of experience. Maybe then Embiid can cross the threshold of the second round of the playoffs.
You can follow all the offers here:
Live
Philadelphia has a new trio of stars! NBA Free Agents – LIVE
