Since Paul George opted out of the final year of his contract with the LA Clippers to test free agency, several franchises frantically chased him. He eventually signed a four-year, $212 million with the Philadelphia 76ers. After detailing behind-the-curtain details about his negotiations with the Clippers, he even explained his meeting with the 76ers front office. Interestingly, they even summoned Hall of Famer Julius Erving to help them land the nine-time All-Star.
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On the latest episode of Podcast P with Paul George, PG revealed that the team’s top executives flew to LA with Dr. J to meet the forward and his family, which left him and his father, Paul George Sr. starstruck. He said,
“It was a great meeting… [They were] Like, ‘Man, you’re our guy. We believe in you. We want you to be here. There’s no perfect pairing [like] you, Joel [Embiid] and Tyrese [Maxey] together.’ My family felt like, alright, this is where I’m gonna spend the next chapter of my life… It felt good. Dr. J was in the crib. That was big for my dad.”
George quipped that his father was dressed sharply for the meeting, indicating its seriousness. He added that the 76ers’ front office did a stellar job selling their vision of the team’s future and the city to him, leaving him no choice but to take up their offer.
After landing him, the franchise handed guard Tyrese Maxey a five-year, $204 million contract extension. With Embiid already under contract until 2027, the 76ers now boast a trio that can compete together for multiple seasons.
The team believed George was the missing piece in their goal to win a title. With him onboard, Philadelphia will now look to surround their superstars with complimentary pieces, who can elevate the team to the next level.
The 76ers have made it to the Conference Finals only once in the last 40 seasons. They’ve had multiple rosters in that span that were dubbed to be contenders for the NBA title, but none have made it past the second round.
Anything less than an Eastern Conference Finals appearance next season would be a tragic failure for the 76ers. Given his age and underwhelming spell with the Clippers, handing 34-year-old George a four-year deal is already a massive risk. If their superstar trio fails to gel, they could get stuck in limbo, probably prompting Embiid’s exit.
The 76ers are hoping that signing George would help them win their first title since Dr. J led them to a championship in 1983. And this looks like their best foot forward towards achieving that goal.
