George obtained the four-year max contract he needed, plus a participant possibility, after the Clippers would not provide him one. The 76ers patiently amassed cap area for the previous few years and added a future Corridor of Famer when the chance arrived. Now George will be a part of All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey on a 76ers crew that appears like a title contender.
Morey hasn’t had enormous success in Philadelphia to this point, however he is at all times held to a long-term imaginative and prescient for the crew. The George signing is a transfer three years within the making, from the time Ben Simmons refused to play for Philadelphia earlier than the 2021-22 season. Morey waited out Simmons’ holdout, flipping him to the Nets for a disgruntled James Harden. When Harden was sad once more 18 months later, Morey took his time and obtained a package deal of draft picks and expiring contracts whereas the Beard held out.
The aim was at all times to clear sufficient area for a most free-agent contract, which Morey achieved by getting expiring contracts and dumping P.J. Tucker’s deal on the Clippers. He additionally held off buying and selling Tobias Harris, permitting the ahead’s huge contract to run out. With Harden resigning with Los Angeles, it is as if Philadelphia traded Harden and Tucker for George, plus first-round picks, a deal that must be thought-about an enormous steal.
George, in the meantime, wager on himself final season. Teammate Kawhi Leonard signed an extension through the 12 months, getting a three-year deal for just below $150M. George resisted the Clippers efforts to get him to signal a deal in need of the utmost {dollars} or years, and obtained a four-year deal for $212M ultimately.
There’s one space of concern. George’s Clippers confirmed flashes of regular-season dominance, however have been repeatedly derailed by accidents to their stars within the playoffs. This additionally describes the Sixers through the Embiid period. However George did play 74 video games final season, and maybe George’s presence, plus the newly-signed Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond, will enable Embiid to relaxation extra through the lengthy season.
Subsequent up for Philadelphia? Fill out the remainder of the roster, making a choice on Kelly Oubre and others, earlier than closing up enterprise by handing Tyrese Maxey his personal max contract.
The Sixers and George have been each very affected person, however after this signing, the long run is now within the Metropolis of Brotherly Love.