76ers front-runners to signal Paul George, sources say

The Philadelphia 76ers are the robust front-runners to land Paul George on a free agent deal, sources instructed ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday, after George knowledgeable the Clippers that he can be signing with one other staff.

George’s agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA, had a dialog with LA Clippers president Lawrence Frank on Sunday evening that resulted in no new motion on a deal. The Clippers then mentioned in an announcement that George has determined to maneuver on.

A Sixers contingent is ready to satisfy with George in California later Sunday evening, sources instructed Wojnarowski.

“Paul has knowledgeable us that he’s signing his subsequent contract with one other staff,” the Clippers mentioned in an announcement. “Paul is an amazing expertise and an elite two-way participant. We really feel lucky for the 5 years we spent with him. Over that span, he went to a few All Star Video games, made probably the most 3-pointers in franchise historical past and helped lead the staff to a spot it had by no means been. His performances in Video games 5 and 6 towards Utah in 2021 will not be forgotten by anybody related to the Clippers.

“We traded quite a bit to pair Paul and Kawhi [Leonard], and in alternate, we had 5 seasons of rivalry. Despite the fact that we fell wanting our final goal, we respect the probabilities we had with Paul.”

George’s resolution to maneuver on comes after what the Clippers described as a “vital” hole in contract negotiations. George was eligible to signal an extension of as much as 4 years and $221 million in the course of the season.

After the Clippers and Leonard agreed to a three-year, $150 million extension in January, George was optimistic that he would have his personal extension quickly as effectively. However the two sides had been far aside.

George is eligible to signal a four-year, $212 million contact with groups which have cap area.

The Clippers — who’ve agreed to a two-year, $70 million cope with free agent level guard James Harden, sources instructed ESPN — mentioned they explored a commerce that may have required George to choose in to his $48.8 million participant possibility previous to Saturday’s deadline.

However the group has taken a measured strategy to roster building with the brand new collective bargaining settlement being so punitive for taxpaying groups such because the Clippers.

“Heading into this offseason, our roster was constructed [with] three nice gamers 33 and over, two of whom might change into free brokers,” the Clippers mentioned within the assertion. “We needed to retain them on contracts that may enable us, underneath the constraints of the brand new CBA, to proceed constructing the staff.

“We negotiated for months with Paul and his consultant on a contract that may make sense for each side, and we had been left far aside. The hole was vital. We perceive and respect Paul’s resolution to look elsewhere for his subsequent contract. We explored an opt-in and commerce state of affairs, however it will have left us in the same place underneath the brand new CBA, with little or no asset worth to justify the restrictions.”

George’s departure brings the Leonard-George period to a disappointing finish. Throughout the summer time of 2019, the Clippers celebrated maybe their greatest second ever when Leonard selected to signal with the staff as a free agent after which LA struck a blockbuster commerce to land George.

The Clippers needed to give up a large haul to accumulate the All-Star wing, sending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, unprotected 2022, 2024, 2026 first-round picks, first-round rights swaps in 2023 and 2025 and unprotected 2021 and guarded 2023 first-round picks through Miami to Oklahoma Metropolis.

The Leonard and George duo introduced immense title expectations, however persistent accidents saved the pair from reaching the NBA Finals. The Clippers have one Western Convention finals look in 2021 to point out for the previous 5 years. The previous two postseasons have ended first-round exits. George was injured and didn’t play and Leonard was harm after two video games in a five-game loss to Phoenix in 2023. This previous postseason, Leonard missed the final three video games of a six-game loss to Dallas within the first spherical.

With out George, the Clippers are continuing into free company armed with a $12.9 million midlevel exception and a $4.7 million biannual exception obtainable.

However will probably be extraordinarily troublesome for the Clippers to switch George, a nine-time All-Star who averaged 22.6 factors, 5.2 rebounds and three.5 assists final season whereas taking pictures profession highs of 47.1% from the sphere, 41.3% from 3-point vary and 90.7% from the free throw line. The Clippers say they now have flexibility underneath the brand new CBA and can discover alternatives to stay a playoff staff with Leonard and Harden as they transfer into the brand new Intuit Dome.

“We are going to miss Paul,” the staff mentioned. “On the similar time, we’re excited by the alternatives we have now been afforded, together with higher flexibility underneath the brand new CBA. Kawhi is an all-NBA participant and we consider [Ty] Lue is the very best coach within the league. We are going to subject a extremely aggressive staff this season, and transferring ahead, use our organizational benefits to carry prime expertise to Intuit Dome.”