Paul George and the Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to a four-year, $212 million free agent contract, a person with knowledge of the deal said Monday.
George, a nine-time All-Star, plans to sign the contract shortly after the league’s moratorium on signings is lifted on July 6, said the person, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal would not be finalized until NBA can be announced. that time.
With George joining 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers boast one of the most formidable trios in the league.
George chose Philadelphia after turning down the Los Angeles Clippers and declining a player option in his $48.7 million contract in 2024-2025, ending a five-year stint with the team where he averaged every season scored at least 21.5 points.
George averaged 20.8 points in his 14-year career with Indiana, Oklahoma City and the Clippers.
“Paul has informed us that he will be signing his next contract with another team,” the Clippers said in a statement Sunday night.
The team added: “We spent months negotiating with Paul and his representative for a contract that would make sense for both parties, and we were left far apart. The gap was significant. We understand and respect Paul’s decision to look elsewhere for his next contract.”
He looked all the way to Philadelphia.
George, 34, joins a Sixers team that has consistently underachieved even as Embiid has emerged as one of the top players in the NBA. They haven’t won an NBA title since 1983 and haven’t even advanced out of the second round of the Eastern Conference since 2001.
Embiid fueled rumors that George would be heading to Philadelphia during a TV appearance together during the NBA Finals.
“Hopefully this offseason we can find a way to do better, and you know,” Embiid said, pausing to look at George, “and add some pieces.”
The 76ers have failed to find the right pieces to build around Embiid, failing Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, James Harden and the list goes on. Team president Daryl Morey had been preparing for this opportunity for years and at the end of last season built a roster with almost all expiring contracts. Embiid and Maxey, expected to sign a five-year, $205 million contract this summer, are the only key pieces on a team chasing NBA champions Boston, New York and Indiana.
George is a six-time member of the All-NBA Team. He is a four-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Team and was the league’s most improved player in 2013. He was a finalist for both NBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, when he led the league with 2 .21 steals per game.
Like Embiid, George’s injury history should give the 76ers cause for concern. George played 76 games last season, the first time he played more than 56 games since 2018-19.
Still, with few options available and ample cap space, the 76ers had little choice but to pursue an aging — but still elite — star like George.
“We plan to be the best team in the East next season,” Morey said during the NBA draft.
George at least makes sure they stay in the mix in the east.