BREAKING: 76ers Land 9-Time All-Star on $212 Million Max Deal
The Philadelphia 76ers may be just one player away from making the NBA Finals, a milestone the city has been anticipating since Joel Embiid’s arrival. This key player could be joining Philly this summer.
With the postseason nearing its end—just one to three games away—teams will soon begin making free agent moves and trade inquiries. League rules have given the Los Angeles Clippers ample opportunity to re-sign nine-time All-Star forward Paul George, but no agreement has been reached yet.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report noted on Friday, June 14, that the prolonged negotiations suggest an “impasse,” potentially leading George to unrestricted free agency and giving Philadelphia a chance to secure a third star alongside Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
“With the Philadelphia 76ers’ substantial spending power, the 34-year-old can leverage his position against the Clippers, threatening a move to the Eastern Conference,” Pincus wrote. “Unless George opts in and extends with the Clippers, he could decline his final year at $48.8 million to sign a new contract—potentially for four years ($221.1 million in Los Angeles, $212.2 million in Philadelphia). If L.A. were willing to offer such a salary, an extension would already be in place.”
Joel Embiid May Have Sent Message to 76ers Front Office With Recent Social Media Stir
“Did the Bucks give [the Celtics] the championship?” Embiid wrote on June 12.
While Embiid appeared to be trolling both the Bucks and the Celtics, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim McMahon speculated that the reigning MVP might also be sending a message to general manager Daryl Morey and the 76ers’ front office about the moves he expects them to make this offseason.
“Embiid saying that, he’s trolling the Bucks,” Windhorst said on the Friday edition of the “Brian Windhorst & the Hoop Collective” podcast.
“Is he trolling his own GM?” McMahon suggested.
“That’s what I wanted to ask you about,” Windhorst responded.
“I’ll tell you what, ya know, big summer for Daryl Morey,” McMahon said.
“If you’re in the East, and you’re watching what Boston is doing, and you’re about to go into your offseason here—you better step up your game,” Windhorst added.
Jimmy Butler Offers 76ers Backup Plan if Paul George Returns to L.A., Lands Elsewhere
Windhorst further questioned whether Paul George is the right target for Philadelphia this summer, especially considering the Celtics’ strong prospects for a championship in 2024 and their promising future beyond that.
“I’m not so sure that that’s the move for Philly,” Windhorst said. “You add Paul George to Philly, are they beating Boston?”
“I’ll tell you what, if you have Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Joel Embiid … especially if they can, say, bring back [Nicolas] Batum, [Kelly] Oubre, and Kyle Lowry, that’s a pretty good team,” Tim Bontemps, also of ESPN, responded. “And obviously, ‘if healthy’ is a huge thing.”
Regardless of the direction the team takes, the Sixers’ front office has long been poised to acquire a star-level player this offseason.
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on May 28 that the team would be willing to trade assets to acquire Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat and offer him a max contract extension, likely carrying the 34-year-old to the end—or very near the end—of his career. And Butler is just the Sixers’ backup plan.
“The Sixers view [Butler] as a fallback option if they are unable to sign Paul George in free agency,” Pompey wrote. “And, according to sources, the Sixers are prepared to give Butler a maximum-salary extension if things align and he forces a trade out of Miami.”