Paul George has not yet signed a new deal with the Los Angeles Clippers and several rumors around his future emerged during the last week. The Clippers’ superstar could become a free agent this summer if he does not activate his player option for next season
Kawhi Leonard has already signed an extension that will keep him in LA for the next three seasons. However, there is no update on Paul George despite the fact that it was reported since early January that the two sides are in negotiations for a new contract.
That said, journalist John Hollinger sparked the NBA rumor mill in his latest piece he wrote for The Athletic.
“Keep an eye on Paul George,” John Hollinger writes. “Presumably, if there was a max extension sitting around for him, he would have signed it by now; I think it’s fair to say a couple of cap-room teams in the East are, um, ‘monitoring’ this.”
There are some teams that are capable of offering max money to the veteran superstar this summer with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Orlando Magic being the most notable ones. The Sixers sent James Harden to the Clippers in a blockbuster trade and received back expiring contracts as Daryl Morey hopes to make a big splash this summer.
The latest report from NBA Insider Marc Stein, revealed that the 76ers are monitoring the situation around Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers.
“League sources say that Philadelphia continues to loom as an eager George suitor should he make it onto the open market and give the 76ers their formal opportunity to try to lure him across the country,” Stein noted. “The Sixers are said to maintain interest in George despite the widely held presumption that he and Leonard want to keep playing together in their native Southern California.”
Paul George elevates Clippers’ star-studded roster;Sixers would love to pair Embiid with George
Paul George has been an important part of what the LA Clippers are doing this season. He’s averaging 22.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 61 games for the 42-25 Clippers in 2023-24. The LA team is bound to be among the Top-6 teams in the Western Conference in a close-knit battle with the Pelicans.
After the James Harden trade, the Clippers proceeded to become one the best teams in the NBA during January and February. However, some minor injuries in key players during the last two weeks prevented him from making a run for a top-3 seed as the Minnesota Timberwolves are 4 games ahead of them.
However, if they get at full health, the Clippers could be able to change the situation in the final 15 games of the regular season. As for Paul George, with him being able to become a free agent this summer, many NBA team could be in line to take him away from LA. The Sixers made the decision to clear cap space going into the offseason.
Joel Embiid and Paul Reed are the only players under contract, while Tyrese Maxey will be a restricted free agent, which means that Philadelphia will match any offer for the first-time All-Star guard. A trio of Maxey, George and Embiid could be what would give the edge to the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference.
