Sixers Acquire Nine-Time All-Star in Win-Win Deal

Daryl Morey’s patience finally paid off this summer, and so did Paul George’s.

BREAKING: Free agent F Paul George has agreed on a four-year, $212 million maximum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. George committed in a meeting with Sixers officials and returns East to join Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in pursuit of an NBA title. https://t.co/pkCfGu3hyp— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2024

George secured the max contract he wanted after the Clippers declined to offer him one. The 76ers had been saving cap space for years, waiting for this moment to add a future Hall of Famer. Now, George will team up with All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, making the Sixers look like serious title contenders.

Morey hasn’t seen huge success in Philly yet, but he’s always played the long game. This signing was three years in the making since Ben Simmons refused to play back in 2021-22. Morey waited out Simmons’ holdout and traded him for James Harden. When Harden got unhappy again later on, Morey took his time and got draft picks plus expiring contracts while Harden held out.

Strategic Moves:

The plan was always to clear enough space for a max free-agent contract. Morey managed this by getting expiring deals and offloading P.J. Tucker’s contract to the Clippers . He also didn’t trade Tobias Harris, letting his big contract expire instead. With Harden now re-signing with Los Angeles, it’s almost like Philly traded Harden and Tucker for George plus first-round picks—a massive win.

Fans might think this move could finally bring some glory days back to Philadelphia.

George bet on himself last season while Kawhi Leonard signed an extension worth just under $150M over three years. George resisted signing anything less than a max deal from the Clippers—and it paid off as he landed a four-year deal worth $212M.

However, there’s one worry: Injuries have plagued both George’s Clippers and Embiid’s Sixers during crucial playoff moments. But last season saw George playing 74 games; maybe his presence along with new signings Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond will give Embiid more rest during the grueling season.

Next steps for Philly? They need to complete their roster decisions including what to do about Kelly Oubre before finalizing things by giving Tyrese Maxey his own max contract.

Both the Sixers and George were very patient—but now it’s showtime in Philadelphia! What do you think about these moves?