I honestly didn’t see this coming, but here we are.
After forward Paul George told the Los Angeles Clippers that he will not be re-signing and will join a new team, the Philadelphia 76ers immediately became the frontrunners to land him in free agency, according to a report Sunday from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
CAA’s Aaron Mintz, the agent of George, spoke Sunday night with Clippers president Lawrence Frank with no progression being made on a contract. Later in the evening, after negotiations broke down, Los Angeles announced in an official statement that George would no longer be a Clipper. (RELATED: Chris Paul Inks 1-Year, $11 Million-Plus Deal With Spurs That Will See Him Pair Up With Victor Wembanyama: REPORT)
Paul George and the Sixers are meeting in California later Sunday night, per Woj.
“Paul has informed us that he is signing his next contract with another team,” stated the Clippers. “Paul is a tremendous talent and an elite two-way player. We feel fortunate for the five years we spent with him. Over that span, he went to three All-Star Games, made the most 3-pointers in franchise history and helped lead the team to a place it had never been. His performances in Games 5 and 6 against Utah in 2021 won’t be forgotten by anyone associated with the Clippers.
“We traded a lot to pair Paul and Kawhi [Leonard], and in exchange, we had five seasons of contention. Even though we fell short of our ultimate objective, we appreciate the chances we had with Paul.”
The Clippers officially announce Paul George’s departure: pic.twitter.com/OVxnJ7SMlg
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 1, 2024
The Clippers’ exit leaves the 76ers as strong frontrunners to land Paul George on a free agent deal, sources tell ESPN. The Sixers contingent is set to meet with George in California tonight. https://t.co/gkke3FW4gc
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2024
The first major domino of free agency is about to fall … strap up, ladies and gentlemen.
