The Philadelphia 76ers are sturdy front-runners to land Paul George on a free agent deal, sources instructed ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday, after George knowledgeable the Clippers he will likely 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 stated in a press release that George had 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 stated in a press release. “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 3 All-Star Video games, made essentially 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 lots to pair Paul and Kawhi [Leonard], and in alternate, we had 5 seasons of competition. Regardless that we fell wanting our final goal, we recognize the probabilities we had with Paul.”
George’s determination 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 he would have his personal extension quickly, as nicely. However the two sides had been “far aside.”
George is eligible to signal a four-year, $212 million contact with groups which have cap house.
The Clippers — who’ve agreed to a two-year, $70 million take care of free agent level guard James Harden, sources instructed ESPN — stated they explored a commerce that will 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 may grow to be free brokers,” the Clippers stated within the assertion. “We wished to retain them on contracts that will 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 will make sense for each side, and we had been left far aside. The hole was vital. We perceive and respect Paul’s determination to look elsewhere for his subsequent contract. We explored an opt-in and commerce situation, however it could 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. In the course of the summer season of 2019, the Clippers celebrated maybe their greatest second ever when Leonard selected to signal with the staff as a free agent and LA then struck a blockbuster commerce to land George.
The Clippers needed to give up a large haul to amass 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 the Miami Warmth to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.
The Leonard-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 indicate for the earlier 5 years.
The previous two postseasons resulted in first-round exits. George was injured and didn’t play and Leonard was harm after two video games in a five-game collection with the Phoenix Suns in 2023. And this 12 months, Leonard missed the final three video games of a six-game collection with the Dallas Mavericks.
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 it is going to be extraordinarily tough for the Clippers to interchange 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 stated 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 in Inglewood.
“We are going to miss Paul,” the staff stated. “On the identical time, we’re excited by the alternatives we have now been afforded, together with better flexibility underneath the brand new CBA. Kawhi is an all-NBA participant and we consider [Ty] Lue is the perfect coach within the league. We are going to discipline a extremely aggressive staff this season, and transferring ahead, use our organizational benefits to convey prime expertise to Intuit Dome.”