Tag: george

Sixers rumors: Tyrese Maxey to get player option? Paul George latest & new draft intel sixers,rumors,tyrese,maxey,to,get,player,option,paul,george,latest,new,draft,intel,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-free-agency,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

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The 2024 NBA Draft is set for this coming Wednesday. We can guess that Daryl Morey, Elton Brand and the rest of the Philadelphia 76ers front office are busy investigating pretty much every option under the sun.

We’re also less than a week away from what could become a Philly-legacy-shaping free agency period for the Joel Embiid era. No biggie. Let’s jump right in.

All-Star and Most Improved Player Tyrese Maxey’s big option

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According to Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto, Tyrese Maxey, expected to sign a five-year max deal at some point in time this summer, could receive a player option for the final year of his pending deal.

Per Scotto:

“The most certain thing for Philadelphia is Tyrese Maxey re-signing on a max extension, league sources said. However, after having to wait a year and being patient with Philadelphia’s front office as it prioritized max cap space, keep an eye on Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul wanting a player option on the final year of Maxey’s new contract and the full 15 percent trade kicker he’s eligible for in negotiations, HoopsHype has learned.”

Maxey could have inked himself a max extension one year ago. The constantly evolving combo guard deferred for 12 months in a win-win player-team maneuver. Maxey rolled the dice to bet on himself both to grant the team more cap-flex this summer as well as Maxeymize his own potential earnings.

After falling short of the votes the Garland, Texas native needed to make an All-NBA team, his max earnings will come in around $205M on a five-year deal (it would have been a substantially higher figure if he made any of the three All-NBA teams).

But as a your welcome for deferring, it sounds like Maxey’s Klutch Sports agent, Rich Paul, is gunning to negotiate Maxey an option for the 2028 summer. In a perfect outcome for Morey, one can guess the Team President would have preferred to lock up the first-time All-Star, still just 23-years old, for as long as humanly possible. But he probably won’t quibble much here.

Whatever you want, Tyrese. We love you, we value you dearly, you’re essentially untouchable, and we want you to retire with No. 0 hanging in our future new arena’s rafters one day next to Joel’s No. 21 and a new championship banner or five.

Draft intel

Duke v Houston

Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

According to ESPN’s resident NBA draft guru, Jonathon Givony, the Sixers are still widely expected to shop their upcoming pick at No. 16. But there are a couple of names to keep an eye on if they opt to retain their selection.

Per Givony:

“The Sixers are known to have conducted only a handful of workouts, possibly the fewest of any team drafting in the first round. That info has caused some speculation that this pick could be on the move, depending on which player falls to No. 16.

Regardless of who is picking, [Jared] McCain has an easy niche he can fill in the NBA with his scoring versatility, basketball instincts, competitiveness and smarts, making him an attractive option for teams drafting in this range.”

Givony also noted that one of the few players the team hosted was Pacome Dadiet, a soon-to-be 19-year-old out of France.

The Sixers have also worked out USC’s Isaiah Collier.

Scotto also threw Ja’Kobe Walter, a shooter from Baylor’s name out there, in the event the 76ers cannot re-sign free-agent-to-be, sniper Buddy Hield:

“Lastly, with sharpshooter Buddy Hield entering unrestricted free agency, Ja’Kobe Walter offers a cheaper 3-and-D replacement and a much better perimeter defender with a 6-foot-10 wingspan in the draft.”

Paul George

LA Clippers v Philadelphia 76ers

Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images

Of course, no rumor roundup is complete without some of the latest on Los Angeles Clippers’ star Paul George. Is he the Sixers “Plan A?” Has their interest “significantly waned?” Liberty Ballers analyzed that in-depth, processing loads of intel over the weekend.

But Monday offered us even more slop to feast on.

Per Brian Windhorst on ESPN’s “Get Up:”

Per Windy:

“Well, let’s remember that Paul George has three options. One is to re-sign with the Clippers. Two is to enter free agency and go somewhere else like Philly or Orlando. Three, he can opt into his contract and get traded by this weekend. That is something that is gonna come to a head in the next day or two if he wants to go with that option. ’Cause obviously you’d have to negotiate a trade and then the team wouldn’t necessarily need salary cap space. So the Paul George sweepstakes is gonna come to a head, at least that aspect of it, faster than those other players who are gonna be free agents like Klay Thompson and DeMar DeRozan. So Paul George has a different menu of options and we’re gonna see some action in that probably coming up very quickly after the draft.”

When Windhorst says that the sweepstakes is going to come to a head faster than players who are more definitively set to hit free agency on July 1, it’s my belief that he expects that to happen — even if he is not certain.

I’m also basing this opinion off what he said a few days ago on a similarly themed ESPN appearance:

“If Paul George changes teams, it’s very likely going to be a situation where he opts into his contract and requests a trade. The Clippers have an offer on the table that is believed to be similar to what they gave Kawhi Leonard, which is a 3-year deal at just below the max.”

Windhorst has bandied the idea that PG could land up with the New York Knicks. And Marc Stein, via Substack newsletter, over the weekend mentioned that possibility as well:

Per Stein:

“Another trusted source has advised me to keep the Knicks on the list as a potential trade suitor for George if the All-NBA swingman indeed opts into the final season of his current contract at 48.8M. That would position George to push for a trade to another team.”

And Scotto on this one too:

“As Marc Stein reported, the Knicks have interest in Paul George, who can opt into his $48.8 million player option to facilitate a trade.

New York’s interest dates back to last year at the NBA Draft when the Knicks discussed a package featuring Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, and three first-round picks in exchange for George, as previously reported by HoopsHype.

The George interest surfaced at a curious time, after the Knicks low-balled forward OG Anunoby during early free agent discussions on a potential new deal, as Brian Windhorst first reported, and league sources confirmed to HoopsHype.

When the Knicks first acquired Anunoby, the belief was that he’d land a deal in the $30-35 million a year range annually, league sources told HoopsHype. Now, however, that value has gone up, starting at $35 million annually to his maximum starting salary for next season, sources said.”

Boiling this down, if the Clippers are not willing to offer George more than a three-year $150Mish extension (as has been reported from numerous sources now), then he could earn substantially more by changing teams.

He can opt out and net up to $212M from both Philly and Orlando.

If he opts in and is traded, any acquiring team then possessing his Bird Rights, can offer him 8 percent raises (as opposed to 5%) on a four-year total deal, approaching near $221M.

So if Windy thinks PG opting in and being traded is the most likely scenario, and the Knicks have been most commonly mentioned as the team to watch in that hypothetical, then perhaps Knicks’ President Leon Rose is looking for yet another CAA All-Star client for his already well-rounded team.

But of course, the Knicks must also handle their OG Anunoby situation noted above. It feels like a game of chicken between George, the Clips, Sixers, Knicks, Magic, and perhaps even the Golden State Warriors— as has been speculated too.

It’s been rumored that the Knicks are hoping to come in with a $35M annual deal for the former Raptors wing, Anunoby. And that the Sixers still have interest there.

Scotto continues:

“Despite a recent report that Philadelphia’s interest in Paul George has cooled amid uncertainty about whether he’d go across the country and sign with Philadelphia in free agency, there remains significant interest from the 76ers in signing him as a free agent, league sources told HoopsHype.

Should the Sixers whiff on George, trying to trade for Jimmy Butler or sign OG Anunoby to a short-term, higher market average annual salary free agent deal are also options.”

When Scotto mentions that last scenario, we’ve already learned names like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Klay Thompson may remain fall back free agent options for Morey and co.

Scotto echoes the sentiment once more: “Another backup contingency free agency plan is the possibility of giving Kentavious Caldwell-Pope a similar two-year deal to Bruce Brown with a higher first-year salary and team option in the second year, league sources told HoopsHype.”

Oh, and for whatever it’s worth, Udonis Haslem, former Heat lifer and current Miami Vice President of Basketball Development, thinks PG would fit best in Philly.

Per the UD the OG of Heat Culture OG’s:

“I would go to Philly if I’m Paul George….so he can definitely help that team, if he wants to win, ’cause I know he said ‘I ain’t ring chasing,’ that’s a damn lie. Everybody wants to win. Everybody ring chasing nowadays….you want a ring and you ain’t got one… you’re gonna have to go to the East, you ain’t gonna get one out West.”

Haslem was also asked on the “First Take” guest spot if he thinks there are questions around the league about the risk of joining forces with Embiid, given his health history. Haslem said there have been questions there but a player like PG should show up and have an authentic conversation about Joel’s “habits,” and the idea of forming a Big Three with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey that can defeat the Boston Celtics would appeal if he were in PG’s shoes.

Udonis “light years” Haslem. I guess this could even mean the Miami Heat are not a team to watch then for a Paul George trade.

An Alex Caruso ‘what if?’

Chicago Bulls v Philadelphia 76ers

Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Finally, Scotto leaves us with one last what-if regarding Alex Caruso, recently traded by the Chicago Bulls to the Oklahoma City Thunder for guard Josh Giddey:

“While Philadelphia was also linked to a potential trade for Bulls guard Zach LaVine, the 76ers have less interest in taking on the remaining $138 million on his contract with Alex Caruso no longer able to be attached in trade talks, league sources told HoopsHype.”

So I guess Philly would have considered adding LaVine more seriously if it also included the stud defensive guard, now with the Thunder.

Sixers rumor roundup: Has interest in Paul George really waned? Plus more on Kyle Lowry, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope sixers,rumor,roundup,has,interest,in,paul,george,really,waned,plus,more,on,kyle,lowry,kentavious,caldwell,pope,liberty,ballers,front-page

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On Sunday afternoon we got a pair of reports from Marc Stein, via Substack and Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Within each report there is key intel confirming much of what we recently speculated about Paul George’s situation and dispelling the notion the team’s true interest in the nine-time All-Star has “significantly wanted.”

It wasn’t difficult to buy the idea that George may opt into his $48.7M one-year deal and seek trade and a max extension. But it was hard to believe the Sixers’ interest in signing George to a four-year $212M max deal had suddenly cooled — if he opted out and hit free agency.

Stein and Pompey’s reports are similar and lend credence to our prior hypothesis. We also got more intriguing updates on names like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brandon Ingram, OG Anunoby and a couple other names we’ve been following in connection to Philadelphia.

With the 2024 NBA Draft now just a few days away, let’s get to the free agency and trade rumors.

Kyle Lowry

First off, we’ve heard numerous times now that the Sixers are hoping to keep Kyle Lowry. Stein, a former NY Times reporter, dropped a loaded Sixers-centric edition of his Substack newsletter:

“I’ve been hearing for weeks now that the Clippers- even though Russell Westbrook possesses a $4M player option for next season- have interest in both [Chris] Paul and Kyle Lowry to supply backcourt depth. Lowry, though is a Philadelphia native who is widely expected to re-sign with the 76ers.”

And Pompey echoes much of the same sentiment.

Paul George via cash or trade, anyone?

According to Pompey, the idea that the Sixers’ interest in PG has “significantly waned” simply doesn’t add up:

“Clippers swingman Paul George had been listed as the Sixers’ top free-agent target for some time before Thursday’s report about their interest having “significantly waned.” But that doesn’t make sense, considering the nine-time All-Star fits with Embiid and Maxey and how long the Sixers coveted him…..

He has until [June 29] to opt into his $48.8 million contract for next season or become an unrestricted free agent. The Clippers can offer him a four-year, $221 million deal. However, they haven’t been willing to offer more than the three years, $152.3 million they gave Kawhi Leonard. The problem is George wants a four-year deal. The Sixers and other squads can offer four years and around $212 million.”

Stein’s sources apparently feel the same way:

“I am struggling to pinpoint third-party teams that put much stock in the recent leakage suggesting that the 76ers have cooled on the idea of pursuing George. Only the Sixers know their true intentions, but let’s just say there will be a healthy bit of skepticism leaguewide about the Sixers bowing out completely until PG-13 has either come to terms with the Clippers or landed somewhere other than Philly.”

Stein reiterates prior reports indicating George would like to remain in SoCal, where the Palmdale native grew up. But like some have reported in the past, Stein says the Clippers remain reluctant to “extend George a longer or richer deal than Kawhi Leonard’s recent three-year contract extension in the $150M range has put George’s future in legitimate flux.”

So no surprises there but the closer we get to next Saturday (PG’s deadline to opt in or out) without news that PG has opted in should be music to Morey’s ears. Philadelphia’s chances to nab PG for cash (and not have to use picks to trade for him, should he opt in) will have increased dramatically in that scenario.

Would PG opting in preclude Morey from landing him?

Pompey continued:

“One option for George is a sign-and-trade with the Clippers to a destination he desires. Los Angeles, which doesn’t have a first-round pick, would most likely ask for one in a package deal.

The Sixers could include the No. 16 pick and consider even adding Tobias Harris via a sign-and-trade as part of a package. L.A. has some level of interest in Harris, a soon-to-be free agent and former Clipper, according to a league source. And if George opts to become a free agent, don’t rule out Philly going after him.”

Philadelphia would obviously prefer to just sign PG to a max, and retain their picks. But if the former Pacer, Thunder, and current Clipper opts in, the idea of expending precious draft assets to acquire him, all before committing a max salary extension to the 34-year-old would be the instance The Athletic’s Shams Charania talked about on Friday, where the 76ers’ interest has really cooled off.

My guess is Morey, Elton Brand and Co. would still be over the moon if the type of proposal Pompey lays out (no. 16 and Tobias Harris via sign-and-trade, lol) were available to them.

The problem is first George would have to be amendable to coming to the Sixers (news from Briain Windhorst he’s likely to opt in indicates he most likely isn’t keen to) and Los Angeles would also have to prefer a Philly package to likely better offers from rivals.

Beware of the CAA Knicks

You’ve heard of the Nova Knicks. But there’s also the CAA Knicks.

PG has at times been connected to the Knicks simply because he is repped by CAA, and the former top agent for that company happens to be the current Knicks President, Leon Rose.

That’s a scenario I worried about from the Sixers’ POV back in early May since PG shares an agent in Aaron Mintz with Jalen Brunson. Jake Fischer, for Yahoo Sports, at the end of May reported that perhaps LeBron James as well as multiple players could be concerned with Joel Embiid’s future playoff availability too making Morey’s job here more challenging. Brunson doesn’t carry quite the same concerns, even if Embiid is the better player when healthy.

Heck, the Knicks could even look to pay OG Anunoby, and still acquire PG via trade by offloading a few of Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson (recently rumored to be in trade offers already), Bojan Bogdanovic, and perhaps (I’m speculating) Deuce McBride.

Per Marc Stein:

“Another trusted source has advised me to keep the Knicks on the list as a potential trade suitor for George if the All-NBA swingman indeed opts into the final season of his current contract at 48.8M. That would position George to push for a trade to another team.”

OG Anunoby

Per Pompey:

“OG Anunoby’s situation with the New York Knicks is something to pay close attention to as well. The Knicks unrestricted free agent reportedly isn’t happy with what the team is offering him to stay. Could the Sixers entice him with a maximum-salary contract and a larger offensive role than he has in New York?”

Per Stein:

“The Knicks, despite some recent murmurs about Anunoby considering his options elsewhere, have been painted as a strong favorite to re-sign the former Toronto Raptor since acquiring him in late December.”

So the Knicks, the team who eliminated a banged-up Joel Embiid-led Sixers group in round one, continue to be a large pain in the neck here for Philly.

The Knicks may be waiting to see if a team like the Sixers or Orlando Magic (the 2023-2024 playoff teams with the most cap space available next month) forces their hand in paying OG a max. If the Sixers cannot land PG, they may try to do just that and at least force Rose to pony up a max for the former Hoosier.

Pompey says the Sixers have three top FA options. Most likely he’s referring to LeBron, PG and OG. LeBron, it appears, is most likely staying with the Lakers. But if PG and OG are also two of the Sixers’ top free-agent targets, Morey will certainly hope he can get at least one.

Because if he can’t…

Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram

Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler and Pelicans’ former All-Star Brandon Ingram as trade targets could be the next on their list.

Per Pompey:

“They could also try to trade for Miami Heat six-time All-Star forward Jimmy Butler or New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram. The return of former Sixers forward Jimmy Butler, now with Miami, isn’t out of the question as a player the Sixers could pursue in a trade deal.”

And Stein echoes the sentiment — adding that BI being on the trade block is a safer bet than Butler being available.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Denver Nuggets v Philadelphia 76ers

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

And going further down the list, I suppose….

Per Pompey:

“Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could be an affordable role-playing option the Sixers would like if the shooting guard opts out of a $15.4 million deal with the Denver Nuggets. However, the Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls are also expected to go after the two-time NBA champion.”

And Stein talked about this idea as well.

“Sources say Philadelphia and Orlando are weighing runs at Caldwell-Pope with their cap space, if, as increasingly expected, he declines his $15.4 million player option with the Nuggets to enter free agency and field richer offers.”

Privately, on Liberty Ballers’ chat circuits we’ve been wondering why the Sixers weren’t connected to KCP even more than they have been. But that appears to be changing as his name keeps coming up lately. Yahoo’s Jake Fischer named him as a fall-back plan in May. And recently ESPN’s Zach Lowe wondered about this idea of KCP to Philly as well.

I suppose if they indeed whiff on PG, OG, and others, if they can’t land a Jimmy or BI….the two-way offguard becomes more and more likely of a salary-cap acquisition. If I were KCP’s Klutch Sports agent, Rich Paul, I’d certainly tell KCP to wait and see if Philly whiffs on PG and OG before taking any low-ball extension offers from Denver.

Same may go for this next dude….

Klay Thompson

Philadelphia 76ers v Golden State Warriors

Photo by Kavin Mistry/Getty Images

Per Pompey:

“The Sixers could also gamble on Klay Thompson, who will be an unrestricted free agent. The five-time All-Star shooting guard is coming off a five-year, $189.9 million deal with the Golden State Warriors.

Thompson reportedly wants at least a three-year contract. But that could be a tough sell for a 34-year-old, who lost his starting spot late in the season and is two years removed from knee and Achilles tendon injuries.”

Klay, now 34 years old, will turn 35 in February. The four-time champ can’t move as well as he used to, but maybe he’d make a solid fallback option if everything else begins to fall apart.

So plenty to unpack. But here’s what you can be pretty sure of: Tyrese Maxey is almost certainly going to get a $205M max extension at some point this summer.

If the Sixers have their way, it’ll be well after they sign a star like PG to a max deal — despite recent Shams’ reports hinting at the contrary

I think despite recent reports, the Sixers’ Plan A is still to sign one of LeBron James, Paul George or OG Anunoby. Of the three, George seems the most likely to change teams.

If they can’t lure one of those three with a max, they’ll likely look at the price tags on trade candidates Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram.

If PG opts in, as Pompey hints, they may look to land him via sign-and-trade or simply acquire him and then extend mid-season— for even more money in total than they can pay him July 1. In that instance, at least the Clippers get something, and PG will make even more money in total.

But yeah, beware of the Knicks going all in this summer, cashing in some of their future draft picks haul, and acquiring two of the current Sixers’ top targets.

Sixers rumor roundup: Paul George, Brandon Ingram, Jimmy Butler, OG Anunoby, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Zach LaVine sixers,rumor,roundup,paul,george,brandon,ingram,jimmy,butler,og,anunoby,kentavious,caldwell,pope,zach,lavine,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

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The Paul George bomb distracted many of us from some other nuggets of intel that came out over the last handful of days leading up to the 2024 NBA Draft and subsequent free agency period.

Let’s get to a roundup and try to stay up on the latest before the next newsbreak shakes everything up again in one hour.

Paul George

First, we were surprised to hear the Sixers’ interest in Clippers star Paul George had waned in recent days, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. Then by Friday morning we received some key intel helping us make sense of that update from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst: PG may be leaning towards an opt in and trade scenario.

It would make sense then that if obtaining the Palmdale, Cali native would cost the Sixers a max contract AND precious draft picks, they might start putting alternative options in front of what was once described as their “Plan A.”

But I don’t think it’s a mortal lock that PG will opt in yet, and the Sixers perhaps projecting diminished interest may even decrease a bit of PG’s leverage.

Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports added Friday:

“On the Sixers’ end, league sources maintain that they are still interested in George, though it would be fair to say he’s not their only option or target in free-agency. Philadelphia is spending the pre-draft and free agency period talking with teams about different scenarios, including some which have been reported or speculated about previously.”

So one might reasonably deduce that the puzzling tweet from Shams was a bit of gamesmanship on Philly’s part in response to some discreet indication PG isn’t all in on a max from Daryl Morey and Co.

But don’t close that door just yet. The fact that Fischer did not talk about Orlando’s possible pursuit of PG might further decease George’s leverage too.

Brandon Ingram

Neubeck continued:

“Brandon Ingram, for example, is still a player the Sixers have interest in, per league sources. On the list of desired targets, he still probably falls below George because it would cost draft capital to acquire, not to mention the clunkier skill set fit with Embiid and Maxey, but the broader point is that it is not George-or-bust in Philadelphia.”

Ingram wouldn’t be quite as pricy as PG in terms of cap space, but since he’s not a free agent, and would require parting with potentially significant draft capital to acquire, all before potentially extending the soon-to-be 27-year-old.

We’ve covered that The Athletic’s Kelly Iko reported the following:

“…New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram was mentioned as a player seen in a lower tier than Mitchell and in recent days, rumors have swirled about the Pelicans dangling Ingram in trade talks and in one iteration, a hypothetical Ingram-for-Alperen Şengün swap was mentioned, but the Rockets have no interest, team sources said. League sources said New Orleans also contacted the Philadelphia 76ers concerning a possible Ingram trade.”

So maybe that conversation went relatively well, contributing to the idea the Sixers’ interest in PG has waned. BI is substantially younger than 34-year-old PG, and might allow the 76ers to add another key free agent (worth more cash than a player they could target were they to land George via cap space).

We learned that BI might be a primary fallback plan sometime ago, and we’ve heard little to dispel that notion since. The latest on PG should only increase this scenario’s likelihood.

OG Anunoby

Ian Begley of SNY recently told Jon Macri of Knicks Film School he’d be very surprised if the Knicks don’t re-sign the former Raptors wing.

Days prior to that, Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto reported:

“The leaguewide expectation is that OG Anunoby will return to the Knicks. The question is, for how much? From executives I’ve talked to around the league, Anunoby’s floor appears to be $35 million, and his ceiling is a max contract. Philadelphia will be looking for a 3-and-D small forward and has the max cap space to make the offer if they believe they’ll miss out on their top target, Paul George. Two general managers told me they’d pay Anunoby $35 million annually and that a max would be tough because of his injury history.”

With all of the reporting the Knicks — who parted with both former 2019 No. 3 overall pick RJ Barrett, and former 2020 No. 25 overall pick, Immanuel Quickley for the oft-injured former Hoosier, Anunoby — are expected to keep him, it feels like the most Daryl Morey could do here is play spoiler, forcing New York to ultimately pay full price. But you just never know, right?

Neubeck reminded fans that the Sixers did demonstrate interest in OG last winter and added Friday: “If Anunoby is in play and not just trying to generate leverage, league sources expect the Sixers to be in the mix.”

Jimmy Butler

On Thursday’s “Get Up” on ESPN, Alan Hahn boldly declared “Jimmy Butler’s days in Miami are over.”

And one very credible Howard Beck, now with The Ringer, chimed in definitively as well:

Per Neubeck:

“One move I am skeptical of relative to the field — a trade for Jimmy Butler, for the Sixers or anyone else. Maybe the NBA intelligentsa is right and I end up wrong on this, but from what I can tell, Butler doesn’t have real interest in leaving Miami and simply wants to get paid. The issue is that Pat Riley can be as stubborn as he is, leaving both sides sort of stuck.)”

So if you believe Beck is right, and the Sixers can’t convince PG or OG to take their $212M, maybe they’d empty out the warchest for the former Sixer, Butler.

But haggling with Riley probably wouldn’t feel very good. If the Sixers can’t entice someone like PG to join them, Riley might be substantially more confident in the allure of South Beach.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

ESPN’s Senior Writer Zach Lowe recently speculated-connected the Sixers to Nuggets’ two-way guard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a Klutch Sports client like Tyrese Maxey.

Jake Fischer for Yahoo added:

“Therefore, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would seem, at present, to be the veteran in line to benefit from the Magic’s cap space. Caldwell-Pope is also believed to have a potential home in Chicago, should the Bulls ultimately lose out on Williams, in addition to Philadelphia viewing the veteran wing as a backup option.”

Back in late May, Fischer reported:

“The Sixers, sources said, took note of Indiana’s two-year splurge for Bruce Brown that then became the biggest salary headed back to Toronto in exchange for Siakam. Veteran wings like Klay Thompson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would fall on the Sixers’ list of targets for similar one-plus-one contracts, sources said. Striking out on a big-time wing would also leave the door open for Philadelphia to consider taking back a player such as Zach LaVine, sources said, in the event Chicago or another team is willing to attach draft capital to move off salary.”

And if PG is less of a realistic option, maybe that dials up the chances they look at KCP.

Zach LaVine

The price for Bulls’ former two-time All-Star Zach LaVine, who shares a trainer in Drew Hanlen with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, may have come down considerably recently. But insiders still don’t think he’s a realistic candidate to play in Philly next season.

NBC Sports’ K.C. Johnson said Chicago contacted the Sixers to talk business here:

“League sources reiterated that the Bulls remain active on several trade fronts centered on Zach LaVine, including with the Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers. Does this take-a-step-back move make DeMar DeRozan consider unrestricted free agency more strongly?”

But PHLY Sports’ doesn’t seem to be buying this idea just yet:

Neubeck would report: “I will reiterate here that the Sixers are not interested in pursuing Zach LaVine, per sources familiar with their thinking, in spite of reports connecting them to the Bulls’ star guard.”

Fischer’s reporting vibes similarly:

“LaVine remains merely a backup option for the Sixers, sources said, but not a player whom Philadelphia truly covets with the team’s ocean of cap space. If there’s any suitor for LaVine that seems most likely at this juncture, it would be the Kings.”

So if you’re tracking the Ingram and Caldwell-Pope markets, it seems their odds of becoming Sixers have each increased, even if they wouldn’t ultimately both land here.

Names like George, LaVine and OG don’t seem nearly as realistic. As for Jimmy Butler, I cannot imagine Riley would enjoy sending him to play with Embiid and Maxey and would try to move heaven and earth before he let that happen. But you never know.

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Finally, we have another key piece to this puzzle. Just as it felt like “Paul George to the Sixers” might actually have some legs, Shams Charania dropped off the turnbuckle to elbow-drop superteam-hungry Sixers fans.

Charania tweeted that suddenly the Sixers’ interest in Paul George has “significantly waned.”

So wait? That nine-time All-Star we’ve heard was your primary option all offseason long? Ya’ll just WANED like a crescent moon?! What happened? Did you finally listen to his whining on podcasts about having to do too much heavy lifting and too much dirty work and also not having enough help? Just too much Doc Rivers energy for ya’ll?

Many of us spent some time Thursday evening working through possibilities because no further context was provided from Shams or any other top reporters.

Did the team just get a hard ‘no’ from PG’s camp and decide to get ahead of the news cycle with some you can’t dump us we’re dumping you jawn? Is it remotely possible Daryl Morey and the Sixers actually just lost interest?

Did another more exciting player suddenly drop in price? But even still, why not leave the idea you can go grab PG using cap space alive while you haggle with Danny Ainge for Lauri Markkanen?

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has been our go-to for intel over the last few weeks on this situation. Here is what Windy had to say on Friday morning on “Get Up,” per Austin Krell on Twitter:

“So, this is sort of setting up to the Clippers basically are positioning themselves to call Paul George’s bluff here. They have not been willing to meet Paul George’s price. He remains un-signed. You can’t just look at teams with salary cap space. If Paul George changes teams, it’s very likely going to be a situation where he opts into his contract and requests a trade. The Clippers have an offer on the table that is believed to be similar to what they gave Kawhi Leonard, which is a 3-year deal at just below the max. They believe he doesn’t want to leave LA. They believe he wants to stay in his hometown under those terms. That’s where we’re at. Is Paul George going to actually walk over getting an extra year and more money or does he want to stay where he’s comfortable alongside Kawhi Leonard? That is one of the biggest questions in the NBA as we head toward July 1. The Clippers, they have had a great opportunity here to close this deal with a full offer. They have not made it. We’ll watch how it plays out.

Prior to hearing this, I think many of us concluded the team had simply received some sort of clear signal from PG’s camp he’s not interested. And so they thought about jumping in front of the news bomb to maybe twist the narrative.

Mimics annoying talking head: the Sixers couldn’t sell Paul George or LeBron James on playing in Philadelphia back in 2018 (pauses annoyingly long for emphasis, before basically screaming into your living room) and they STRUCK OUT AGAIN in 2024!!! Daryl Morey’s stubborn pursuit of stars backfires and you in that chair are a loser for cheering for this team! Now Brandon Ingram is the fallback plan! WOMP WOMP.

Maybe they could at least spare us all, themselves, and Ingram 3 percent of that stuff?

But now it seems a lot more nuanced.

If a $221M max offer is not coming fom the Clippers, PG could still position himself for a total all-in number approaching that total if he opted in and then received a max (or near max) extension from an acquiring-via-trade team.

As of now Philly can offer him $212M. If he opted in and they traded for him then extended him the sum would be around that $220M mark.

So this hypothetical new team, if he opts in and gets moved, would then possess PG’s Bird Rights so they could offer him 8% raises — instead of the 5% raises a team like Philadelphia or Orlando can offer. The difference may “only” be about $12M, and would add some injury risk (he wouldn’t be eligible for extension for another six months so he’d have to survive through January at the earliest), but from PG’s POV, maybe you’d prefer the idea of having lots of options instead of just two or three.

Allowing teams like the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, or perhaps Miami Heat to jump into the mix along with L.A., Philly and Orlando can’t hurt the cause, right? Then the Clippers would at least get some assets too.

So in essence, PG may be saying: I do want a max. But I don’t reallllly want to play in Philly. I think I can get as much or even more money by steering my way to a team like the Knicks or Heat.

And in order to do so, he may have to convince the Clippers that he’d leave them if they did not trade them.

For example, “either sign-and-trade me to the Knicks for Julius Randle and picks, or I sign outright in Philly or Orlando.”

Viewed through that type of lens, assuming the Sixers offered Shams some intel yesterday, maybe you’d describe the “waning interest” bomb as both nearly true and playing some Conference Rival defense.

Throws Morey voice: “Yes, if you’re opting in we do have much, much less interest. We loved the idea of maxing you but not maxing you AND giving L.A. our draft war-chest.”

But the public messaging — leaning on Shams’ voice— also serves (using Windy’s poker bluff metaphor) as a blocking bet.

Throws Elton Brand’s voice: “if he won’t commit to us, we’re not going to let PG leverage our $212M to steer himself to the Heat or Knicks. So Shams, you tell em’ we’re probably moving on.”

Elton hangs up the phone as Morey explains the whole play to Josh Harris: “again that’s IF he opts in. If he opts in, then we’re not involved. They’ll want too many picks. But of course, we’re hoping he opts out and that our Shams bomb here decreases his leverage…then he can still take our money (winks).”

So if you’re weird like me and you have an eight-foot abacus and Ouija board you use to predict this stuff, and you enact imaginary little plays where your stuffed animals are Daryl Morey and Elton Brand talking into cell phones, then I think you have lots more to work with today than you did yesterday.

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Well, the smoke that was surrounding Paul George and him possibly signing with the Sixers might not produce a flame.

Shams Charania of The Athletic is reporting that the Sixers’ interest in pursuing the nine-time All-Star “has significantly waned in recent days.”

Numerous reports have surfaced this week that appear to be pointing towards a divorce between George and the Los Angeles Clippers, making this latest news fairly surprising. It appeared as if the Sixers had a legitimate shot at landing the veteran wing that Joel Embiid seemed to covet.

That leads us to one obvious question: What does Daryl Morey have up his sleeve?

Almost immediately after the Sixers were eliminated by the Knicks, ESPN Insider Brian Windhorst named three star-level players the team would pursue: George, Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram. With George seemingly crossed off the list, are we looking at a pivot to these trade options? While there hasn’t been much noise surrounding the Heat and a trade of Butler, a report from The Athletic’s Kelly Iko said that the Pelicans shopped Ingram to both the Rockets and Sixers.

If you’re looking at other free agents, the Sixers have also recently been linked to the Knicks’ OG Anunoby and Nuggets’ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Anunoby is seemingly destined to re-sign with New York considering the president of basketball operations is the father of Anunoby’s agent, but perhaps the Sixers see a path to reuniting the veteran wing with his former coach, Nick Nurse. Caldwell-Pope has proven to be one of the better perimeter defenders in the NBA and has two championship rings on his resume. With Denver approaching the vaunted second apron in a hurry, KCP could hit the open market.

Perhaps the Alex Caruso-Josh Giddey trade will open the floodgates on trade season or maybe we’ll have to wait until next week’s draft to get a clearer picture of the Sixers’ plan.

Report: Clippers could be ‘calling [Paul George’s] bluff’ in contract talks report,clippers,could,be,calling,paul,george,s,bluff,in,contract,talks,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-analysis,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

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That’s a wrap on the NBA Season, and the dreaded Boston Celtics fans get to party in the streets for the 13th time since 1957.

If the Sixers want to beat a team with as much top-end firepower as the team that Danny Ainge (now with the Jazz, although he did most of the heavy lifting here), Mike Zarren and current President Brad Stevens have built, they’re going to need major reinforcements.

The name at the top of Daryl Morey’s wishlist is Clippers’ star Paul George. PG has a player option for the coming season worth $48.7M.

But we heard reports earlier this season that Steve Ballmer, by far the NBA’s richest owner worth an estimated $129.7B, was hesitant to allow his front office to offer PG more money than Kawhi Leonard on a potential extension.

Leonard, the two-time NBA Finals MVP, is the Clippers best player when healthy. But as Sixers fans know all too well, that “when healthy” distinction is kind of a big asterisk. PG, now 34, isn’t exactly an exemplar of perfect health himself, but he was the safer bet than Leonard to be healthy by playoff time. And he seems like the safer bet for the next three-four seasons as well.

On ESPN’s “Get UP” Monday, insider Brian Windhorst speculated on the latest from Clipperville:

“What is interesting to me is that is that the Clippers are very aware that somebody is going to offer [George] a four-year max contract. Whether that’s the 76ers or the Magic or a team could even trade for him. But there’s another thing with Paul George that I want to point out. He has an option in his contract. It’s known as ‘The Chris Paul Move.’ Where you come to a team and say ‘I’m either going to sign with this team over here, or you’re gonna pick up my option and trade me there.’ So even if you don’t have cap space, a team for example, like the New York Knicks. Okay, if they wanted Paul George they could say ‘okay, you could come to us, we’ll trade for you.’ You don’t have to sign him outright. Clippers know all this is gonna go on. And yet they’re still not making this offer. They’re still not [inaudible] to do this. And so if you get to July 1st, and the Clippers have done this, they’re gonna play hardball, that’s when you know he’s truly gonna be in the market. I suspect the Clippers read, at least on June 17th, is that they’re calling his bluff. They don’t actually think he’s gonna leave his hometown of L.A. to go to Philly or Orlando or some thing like that.”

This stalemate would seem to have begun back in January.

The Clippers essentially drew a line in the sand implying PG wasn’t deserving of what Kawhi was (three years, $152M) received last January, offering him less on an extension. PG wisely scoffed at the insulting, paltry bid. Now that miscalculation may bite them.

If George opts out, he is eligible to sign a four-year deal (the NBA’s “Over 38” rule forbids teams from offering him a fifth year) max deal worth up to roughly $221.1M. Possessing George’s Bird Rights, the Clips can offer the nine-time All-Star 8 percent raises, while all other teams can only offer 5 percent raises.

That means the Sixers can “only” offer George $212.5M over the same deal. Still, it’s only an $8.6M difference.

As one might expect in any ongoing negotiation, the PG-to-Philly barometer has swung a few times lately. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski back in May reported that, “The Clippers are determined to keep Paul George and James Harden in free agency, and the organization will move into the new, state-of-the-art Intuit Dome for the start of next season.”

But Windy is, more recently at least, singing a different tune.

Examining that Chris Paul opt-in-and-trade scenario (the kind Daryl Morey, while in Houston, once famously executed to rescue Chris Paul from Doc Rivers the Clips), with an expanding salary cap, it does seem PG could make more money long-term by opting in.

But he’d have to wait six months, and if any player knows that catastrophic injuries can occur, it’s PG, who broke his leg in multiple places back in 2014 during USA Team play.

If I were deciding between $212M today or waiting I’m not sure I’d want to risk playing from November through January for the additional ~$12M. Additionally, PG could learn the “Carmelo Anthony” lesson, and try to avoid depleting whichever new team he wants to play for of precious draft assets they’d need later to beat the Celtics.

So the best news here is that it appears the Clippers are still playing hardball with George. They’ve done nothing to suggest thus far that they feel he’s worth every penny of a max deal. As stellar as the quintessential triple-threat-3-and-D wing has been, with a new arena set to open, deciding he couldn’t make as much as Leonard, now trying to catch a bluff? It’s all pretty weird. Imagine how Kawhi would feel if they wound up letting him walk for nothing in return?

Is there any chance they’re pulling a bit of a 2023 version of the Morey-with-Harden, and sending these silent signals in hopes he opts in, so that they can make a blockbuster move? Unlike Beard, PG has max offers elsewhere tempting him not to do that.

The less good news for the Sixers here is this idea that PG could ultimately make more money by opting in, which could give him incentive to listen to pitches from contenders without cap space. Yuck.

The Sixers can spend up to $65M in cap. But if other teams can trade for him — with plans to extend him come January for even more than the max he’ll command in July — well, you can see the problem there. Miami? Cleveland? New York?

George, a CAA client shares an agent with Knicks’ star Jalen Brunson. The Knicks have been linked to PG in some reports too.

If PG felt Brunson is a safer bet than Embiid to be healthy come next year’s playoffs… maybe that throws a monkeywrench in the works for Morey — even if things fall apart with PG and the Clips.

But let’s focus on the good news for today. The Clippers appear to think that PG won’t leave, they certainly aren’t rolling out any red carpets like Morey is, and are perhaps “calling a bluff.” That would, I’d argue, mark the second time they’ve insulted him in five months. First, by deciding he’s not worth what Leonard was last January, and again now, knowing that other teams are prepared to drop a full stack, while they quibble over an amount that equates to about 0.17% of Ballmer’s total net worth.

Joel Embiid seemingly recruits potential soon-to-be free agent Paul George on live TV at the NBA Finals joel,embiid,seemingly,recruits,potential,soon,to,be,free,agent,paul,george,on,live,tv,at,the,nba,finals,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

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The Celtics are about to win the NBA Finals. Who cares?

The most important thing to happen ahead of Game 4 was Joel Embiid popping on NBA Countdown on ESPN — seated next to potential free-agent-to-be Paul George.

Social media was abuzz as soon as that picture went live. George, a nine-time All-Star, has a player option with the Clippers for the 2024-25 season. If he declines that option, he’ll hit free agency. If that happens, the Sixers are expected to be the top team after his services.

When Embiid spoke, he made sure to let everyone know how he felt about the basketball team from Boston:

Embiid has been steadfast over the years in saying that he doesn’t want to meddle with what the team’s front office is doing. But when the opportunity presented itself, he seemingly made a not-so-subtle pitch to George on live television. Below is a zoomed in look at the video above.

Embiid is a former MVP. One of the best players on the planet. Even at his size, there are few things he can’t do on a basketball court.

But subtlety has never been his strength.

For many Sixers fans, this is likely a welcomed sight (depending on how you feel about the team signing George). Embiid basically saying on ESPN, “Hey, Daryl, this is the player we should get!” is quite the departure from his previous offseason approaches.

For what it’s worth, George has admired Embiid from afar and the two have developed a relationship. Just this past season, George gushed about Embiid on his podcast, calling the big man this generation’s version of Shaquille O’Neal.

The funny thing is you would think Tyrese Maxey, who grew up in Garland, Texas, would be there in Dallas to join the recruitment wagon. Alas, Maxey appears to be in Paris for an event with New Balance. Perhaps Maxey joined Embiid and George for a late-night FaceTime call.

While we shouldn’t get too far ahead of ourselves, Embiid being in Dallas at the NBA Finals while George is also there feels mighty purposeful.

Report: Paul George, Clippers ‘not on the same page’ with extension talks ahead of free agency report,paul,george,clippers,not,on,the,same,page,with,extension,talks,ahead,of,free,agency,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-free-agency,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

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As we all watch in disgust as the Celtics look set to win the NBA Finals, a sliver of offseason slop might provide a small boost to Sixers fans’ spirits.

ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst shared a nugget that could leave the door open to nine-time All-Star Paul George coming to Philly in free agency. As a guest on the Pat McAfee Show earlier this week, Windhorst said that George and the Clippers “have swapped numbers, and they’re not on the same page.”

As Windy notes in the clip above, the two sides could’ve reached an agreement at any time and failed to do so. Kawhi Leonard signed an extension with L.A. way back in January for three years and a shade below $150 million. Notably, that was not a max contract extension for Leonard. Perhaps the Clippers are hoping to get George to agree to a similar deal while the six-time All-NBA selection knows that there will be max offers waiting for him in free agency.

In any case, it does leave the door cracked open for the Sixers, the first team Windhorst mentions as a George suitor. Windy also spoke about the potential of a sign-and-trade between the Clippers and Sixers, which could lead to a few intriguing scenarios for Daryl Morey and company.

While all indications are that PG-13 is the Sixers’ Plan A, their Plan B might not involve free agents at all. If they fail to sign George, a trade is the next possible outcome, per Windhorst.

“If they don’t get [George], where’s the Sixers’ money going? What are they going to do with it? Not necessarily sign players, I think the actual big transactions this summer will be trades — teams taking on salary in trades. Philly, potentially, if they don’t get Paul George, [could] try to trade for guys into their cap space.”

The two biggest names potentially on the trade market are old friend Jimmy Butler and the Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram. If you’ll recall, Windhorst linked the Sixers to all three of George, Butler and Ingram literally the day after the team was eliminated by the Knicks in Game 6.

Remember, in the new CBA, teams are allowed to speak with their free agents the day after the NBA Finals — unlike last season when the whole “Daryl Morey is a liar” James Harden fiasco went down. So, we should get a decent idea where George and the Clippers stand once Boston finishes off Dallas (maybe the only reason to look forward to that series ending).

The NBA Draft is also less than two weeks away. As Windy notes, things could get spicy when the first round starts on Wednesday, June 26.

“We might actually see the biggest action around the draft. … That’s the beginning of trade season and who knows? You might see action with Paul George — whether it’s him getting traded somewhere or him just deciding to stay with the Clippers.”

Hold on to your butts.