Paul George agrees to 4-year, $212M deal with 76ers, sources say

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

George’s deal — which sources say includes a player option for a final season in 2027-28 — would allow him to partner with MVP center Joel Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey to topple NBA champion Boston. Brings back into the Eastern Conference. celtics.

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

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

Embiid, Maxi and George were All-Stars last season and form one of the most formidable Big 3 in recent NBA history – featuring an explosive lead guard in Maxi, an elite two-way wing player in George and a perfect center back. Includes roster balance. The dominant big man in Embiid. The 34-year-old George, a nine-time All-Star, has spent the past five seasons with the Clippers and averaged 23 points, six rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 263 regular season games in Los Angeles.

George, who was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017 before being traded to the Clippers as part of L.A.’s move to sign Kawhi Leonard as a free agent two years later, has now moved on. The Clippers and George had been talking for months over a potential deal, but never got close to an agreement. Sources said George wanted a four-year deal on a new deal and the Clippers offered three years.

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

“Paul is a tremendous talent and an elite two-way player. We feel fortunate to have had the five years we spent with him. During that span, he went to three All-Star Games, made the most 3-pointers in franchise history And helped take the team to a place it’s never been before. His performances in Games 5 and 6 against Utah in 2021 won’t be forgotten by anyone associated with the Clippers.

“We bargained a lot to pair Paul and Kawhi (Leonard), and in return, we had five seasons of contention. Even though we fell short of our ultimate objective, we appreciate the opportunities we got with Paul ”

Now, George will be hoping to reach that ultimate objective – winning an NBA championship – with Embiid and Maxi in Philadelphia. George’s arrival could give the Sixers the firepower to take on the Celtics in the East.

A significant development for George late Sunday night, sources told ESPN: the Sixers agreed to a two-year, $16.3 million deal with shooting guard Kelly Oubre Jr., sources said. The 76ers also reached agreements with veteran guard Eric Gordon and center Andre Drummond on Sunday, sources said.

Since the Pacers drafted him 10th overall in 2010, George has become one of the NBA’s premier wing players – even while recovering from a serious foot injury prior to the 2014 FIBA ​​World Cup.

George is one of eight players to make at least nine All-Star teams since entering the league, joining LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis . He has also been a six-time All-NBA selection, including a first-team selection in 2019.

After missing most of the 2014–15 season, George re-established himself as one of the top two-way perimeter players in the league, averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season. Is.

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.