Free agent forward Paul George agreed to a four-year, $212 million max contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources told ESPN early Monday.
George's deal, which sources say includes a player option on the final season in 2027-28, brings him back to the Eastern Conference to partner with MVP center Joel Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey in the pursuit. to defeat the NBA champion, Boston. Celts.
George and his agent, CAA’s Aaron Mintz, met in Los Angeles with a 76ers contingent that included owner Josh Harris, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, general manager Elton Brand and Sixers legend Julius Erving, sources said. The Sixers even brought along a front-office executive, Peter Dinwiddie, who is a familiar face and friend of George’s from his years together with the Indiana Pacers, sources said.
The meeting came after months of fruitless negotiations between George and the LA Clippers over a deal to remain in his Southern California home.
Embiid, Maxey and George were all All-Stars last season and form one of the most formidable big threes in recent NBA history, with an ideal balance of an explosive lead guard in Maxey, an elite two-way player in George and a dominant big man in Embiid.
Nine-time All-Star George, 34, spent the past five seasons with the Clippers and averaged 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 263 regular-season games with LA.
But now George, traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017 before a move to the Clippers two years later as part of Los Angeles' move to sign Kawhi Leonard as a free agent, has moved on. The Clippers and George had been talking for months about a possible deal, but never came close to reaching an agreement. George wanted four years on a new contract and the Clippers offered three, sources said.
The Clippers issued a statement Sunday saying George had told them he planned to sign with another team.
“Paul is a tremendous talent and an elite player in both ways. We feel fortunate for the five years we had with him,” the Clippers said. “During that span, he made three All-Star Games, made the most 3-pointers in franchise history and helped lead the team to a place it had never been. His performances in Games 5 and 6 against Utah in 2021 will not be forgotten by anyone associated with the Clippers.
“We changed a lot to match Paul and Kawhi [Leonard]And in return, we had five seasons of discord. “Although we didn't reach our ultimate goal, we appreciate the opportunities we had with Paul.”
Now George will hope to achieve that ultimate goal: winning an NBA championship alongside Embiid and Maxey in Philadelphia. George's arrival could give the Sixers the firepower they need to take on the Celtics in the East.
A major development Sunday night for George, sources said: the Sixers' two-year, $16.3 million deal with guard Kelly Oubre Jr. The 76ers also reached agreements with veteran guard Eric Gordon and center Andre Drummond on Sunday, sources said.
Since the Pacers selected him 10th overall in the 2010 draft, George has become one of the NBA's top wing players, even as he recovers from a devastating leg injury suffered before the 2014 FIBA World Cup. .
George is one of eight players to have made at least nine All-Star teams since entering the league, along with LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis. He has also been selected to the All-NBA team six times, including a first-team selection in 2019.
After missing most of the 2014-15 season, George has reestablished himself as one of the league's best two-way perimeter players, averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists last season.
ESPN's Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.
