The Philadelphia Sixers thought they were the real winners of the Paul George free agency sweepstakes last summer after the Clippers didn’t offer him the contract he wanted, but little did they know, LA actually won. The version of George that played for the Sixers last season was the opposite of the one who played 72 games for the Clippers the season before.
It would’ve benefitted Philly if George stayed in Los Angeles, re-upping his deal like Kawhi Leonard.
There is a problem with that, though. On his podcast, “Pablo Torre Finds out,” Torre detailed a way in which the Clippers used an endorsement deal with an environmental company, Aspiration, to circumvent the salary cap for Kawhi. Ballmer and the organization have denied that was the case, but Torre’s findings say otherwise.
What would’ve happened if the Clippers did something similar for George, assuming that’s what they did for Kawhi? The Sixers wouldn’t be in as much of a mess as they are now. George didn’t think he’d leave LA, his home, especially not to make a cross-country move. He wanted his money, though. It’s safe to assume that he wasn’t offered a lucrative deal with Aspiration.
Paul George left Clippers because they didn’t offer him what he wanted
George signed a four-year, $212 million max contract with the Sixers last offseason. The expectation of what Daryl Morey thought Philadelphia was getting in PG3, versus the player it got, couldn’t have been more different. The forward averaged 16.2 points (his lowest since the 2014-15 season) on 43% shooting from the field and 35.8% from three. He played 41 games.
He turned 35 in May, a couple of weeks after the Sixers’ season ended, so while fans and the front office hope he’ll have a turnaround season in 2025-26, there is a high chance that won’t happen.
George has always dealt with injury issues, which become more prevalent as you get older. He underwent knee surgery over the summer to address an injury he sustained during a workout. It’s looking bleak.
Philadelphia got lucky with receiving the No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft, but that’s where the team’s luck ended this offseason. Maybe it was the universe doing the fan base a favor after last summer’s George signing. It’ll take more than V.J. Edgecombe to set the Sixers back on track. It’ll take (mostly) healthy versions of George and Joel Embiid, a dream that may never come true.
Hey, at least Philadelphia didn’t try to circumvent the salary cap, though. It could always be worse!
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