Paul George agrees to 4-year, $212 million contract with 76ers, sources say

Free agent forward Paul George agreed to a four-year, $212 million maximum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources told ESPN early Monday morning.

George’s deal — which sources say includes a player option for the final season in 2027-28 — brings him back to the Eastern Conference to pair with MVP center Joel Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey in an effort to topple the NBA champion Boston Celtics.

George and his agent, CAA’s Aaron Mintz, met with a 76ers group that included owner Josh Harris, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, general manager Elton Brand and Sixers legend Julius Erving in Los Angeles, sources said. The Sixers even brought in front office executive Peter Dinwiddie, who is a familiar face and friend of George’s from their days with the Indiana Pacers, sources said.

The meeting comes after months of unsuccessful negotiations with the Los Angeles Clippers over a deal to remain in his Southern California home.

Embiid, Maxey and George were All-Stars last season and form one of the most fearsome big threes in recent NBA history – with an ideal balance of an explosive point guard in Maxey, an elite dual-player wing meaning in George and a dominant big man in Embiid.

George, 34, a nine-time All-Star, spent the last five seasons with the Clippers and averaged 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 263 regular season games with Los Angeles.

But now George, traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017 before being traded to the Clippers two years later as part of LA’s decision 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 got close to an agreement. George wanted four years on a new contract, and the Clippers offered three, sources said.

The Clippers released a statement Sunday saying George told them he planned to sign with another team:

“Paul is a huge talent and an elite two-way player. We feel lucky for the five years we spent with him. During that span, he appeared in three All-Star Games, made the most three-pointers in franchise history, and helped the team reach a level it had never seen before. reached. His performances in Games 5 and 6 against Utah in 2021 will not be forgotten by anyone associated with the Clippers.

“We made a lot of trades to pair Paul and Kawhi (Leonard), and in exchange we got five seasons of competition. Even though we didn’t reach our ultimate goal, we appreciate the chances we had with Paul. »

Now, George hopes to achieve that ultimate goal – winning an NBA championship – alongside Embiid and Maxey in Philadelphia. George’s arrival could give the Sixers the firepower needed to take on the Celtics in the East.

One important development Sunday night for George, sources told ESPN: the Sixers’ agreement to a two-year, $16.3 million contract with shooting guard Kelly Oubre Jr., sources said. The 76ers also reached deals with veteran guard Eric Gordon and center Andre Drummond on Sunday as well, sources said.

Since the Pacers drafted him 10th overall in 2010, George has become one of the NBA’s most prominent forwards, even while recovering from a devastating leg injury suffered before the 2014 FIBA ​​World Cup.

George is one of eight players to have been selected to the All-Star team at least nine times since joining the league, joining LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, 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 reestablished himself as one of the league’s best two-way perimeter players, averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season.

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.