As various dominoes have fallen in recent weeks, the clearest path for the Philadelphia 76ers to improve this offseason appears to be signing Paul George. That possibility came closer to reality yesterday when George officially declined his player option with the Los Angeles Clippers and became an unrestricted free agent. The Sixers were absolutely in the mix with George reported to be taking meetings with Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Orlando. Now, the flames on the hot stove are rising even further with this reporting from NBA Insider Chris Haynes.
B/R Sources: There’s growing optimism the Philadelphia 76ers will land Paul George in free agency.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 30, 2024
Haynes’ sourcing is generally pretty rock solid, so we can put more stock in this report than the usual musings to come across the timeline.
While people may be worried about paying max money to a 37-year-old George in four years, it’s hard to make an argument that there’s a better way to make the team better in the present. Slotting George in as a third option, 3-and-D wing between Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey would be a dream fit. With Embiid now 30 years old and the injuries continue to pile up, taking a win-now mentality makes all the sense in the world. Cap space in 2027-28 is Future Daryl Morey’s problem, and at the very least, George’s high volume, three-point shooting will age well.
We’ll see what happens in the coming hours/days as free agency officially opens. Undoubtedly, an Embiid-Maxey-George big three would be an exciting start to the roster heading into next season. Make it happen, Daryl.