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Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN
Free agent ahead Paul George has agreed on a four-year, $212 million most contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources advised ESPN early Monday morning.
George’s deal — which sources say features a participant choice on the ultimate season in 2027-28 — brings him again to the Jap Convention to accomplice with MVP middle Joel Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey in pursuit of upending the NBA champion Boston Celtics.
George and his agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA, met with a 76ers contingent that included proprietor Josh Harris, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, basic supervisor Elton Model and Sixers legend Julius Erving in Los Angeles, sources stated. The Sixers even introduced a entrance workplace govt, Peter Dinwiddie, who’s a well-recognized face and buddy of George’s from their years along with the Indiana Pacers, sources stated.
The assembly got here on the heels of months of unsuccessful negotiations with the Los Angeles Clippers on a deal to remain in his Southern California house.
Embiid, Maxey and George have been All-Stars final season and type some of the formidable huge threes in latest NBA historical past — that includes a perfect roster steadiness amongst an explosive lead guard in Maxey, an elite two-way wing participant in George and a dominant huge man in Embiid.
George, a 34-year-old nine-time All-Star, spent the previous 5 seasons with the Clippers and averaged 23 factors, 6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals over 263 regular-season video games with Los Angeles.
However now George, traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017 earlier than a commerce to the Clippers two years later as a part of L.A.’s transfer to signal Kawhi Leonard as a free agent, has moved on. The Clippers and George had been talking for months a few potential deal however by no means got here near an settlement. George needed 4 years on a brand new deal, and the Clippers supplied three, sources stated.
The Clippers issued a statement Sunday saying that George had advised them he deliberate to signal with one other staff.
“Paul is an incredible expertise and an elite two-way participant. We really feel lucky for the 5 years we spent with him,” the Clippers stated. “Over that span, he went to 3 All-Star Video games, made probably the most 3-pointers in franchise historical past and helped lead the staff to a spot it had by no means been. His performances in Video games 5 and 6 in opposition to Utah in 2021 will not be forgotten by anybody related to the Clippers.
“We traded so much to pair Paul and Kawhi [Leonard], and in alternate, we had 5 seasons of rivalry. Despite the fact that we fell wanting our final goal, we recognize the probabilities we had with Paul.”
Now George can be hoping to achieve that final goal — successful an NBA championship — alongside Embiid and Maxey in Philadelphia. George’s arrival might give the Sixers the firepower to tackle the Celtics within the East.
One essential growth late Sunday for George, sources stated: the Sixers’ agreement on a two-year, $16.3 million deal with taking pictures guard Kelly Oubre Jr. The 76ers additionally reached agreements with veteran guard Eric Gordon and middle Andre Drummond on Sunday, sources stated.
For the reason that Pacers drafted him tenth total in 2010, George has grow to be one of many NBA’s pre-eminent wing gamers — even whereas recovering from a devastating leg harm suffered forward of the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
George is certainly one of eight gamers to make at the very least 9 All-Star groups since he entered the league, becoming a member of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis. He is additionally a six-time All-NBA choice, together with being a first-team choice in 2019.
After lacking a lot of the 2014-15 season, George has re-established himself as one of many prime two-way perimeter gamers within the league, averaging 22.6 factors, 5.2 rebounds and three.5 assists this season.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.
