Paul George shocked the world five years ago when he was traded from Oklahoma City to Los Angeles. He's been the big story again this summer, moving to the Sixers in free agency.
George will almost assuredly be the best free agent that switches teams this summer. Does he provide enough for Philadelphia to justify a maximum contract?
Here are the figures behind the deal and how much praise general manager Daryl Morey should be getting for the move.
MORE: Why did Paul George leave Clippers? How free agent decision impacts Joel Embiid, title race
Paul George contract details
George will earn 35 percent of the $140.6 million salary cap, with 5 percent annual raises.
- 2024-25: $49,205,800
- 2025-26: $51,666,090
- 2026-27: $54,126,380
- 2027-28: $56,586,670
Paul George Sixers contract grade
Is George worth maximum money into his age 37 season? Probably not, which is why the Clippers lost him after they set a hard line on that fourth year. But teams have to oftentimes overpay during the back end of a deal in order to get production in the front end. The Sixers were willing to do that in order to maximize Joel Embiid's prime.
George will be worth about $50 million to start his deal, according to my salary model. He's still one of the top-10 players in the league by most impact stats thanks to his stellar two-way play. He averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists last season.
The most important George stat might be his catch-and-shoot 3-point percentage. He hit 45.4 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3's last season, per NBA Stats. He's going to slide in perfectly both on and off the ball for the team.
George has shied away from being the No. 1 guy on a team. He will be the best No. 2 in the league behind Embiid, who was having another MVP-caliber season before injuries set him back. And he could even slide to a No. 3 guy as Tyrese Maxey continues to take strides forward.
MORE: The biggest winners and losers of NBA free agency
The health of the Sixers is going to be the real question mark here. Embiid has been constantly hurt, and so has George. The former Clipper did manage to play in 74 regular season games and all six of their playoff games last season, but he battled a sore knee for a big portion of the season. He also averaged under 48 games played over the four years prior to that good run of health.
The Sixers are certainly taking a gamble here, but Morey has never shied away from one. The league is as wide open as it's been, and this gives them the upside to potentially win a championship if everything clicks right.
Boston was a historically good team on paper, but their shaky fourth quarter play was never really resolved. New York has made its own upgrades with Mikal Bridges in the fold. And Milwaukee is still lurking with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. The Sixers should be right on par with the Knicks as the second-best team in the East as of now.
Philadelphia could still continue to improve, too. They positioned themselves for this type of move with shrewd planning, opening up more than $60 million in cap space. They've picked up one of the best backup big men in the league in Andre Drummond, brought back a starter in Kelly Oubre, and gotten some bench shooting via Eric Gordon on a veteran's minimum deal. They have a ton of roster spots still open and the flexibility to target the best free agents that fit alongside their new core.
Morey's cap-space plan could have gone in a ton of different directions. This was Plan A, and they nailed it. Kudos to them for coming up with a bold plan and executing it to perfection.
Grade: A-
