Former Sixers No. 2 Pick Has Harsh Words for Paul George

Getty Paul George

With the possibility of entering free agency looming, Paul George has been linked to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Los Angeles Clippers star has a player option for the 2024-25 season.

Though the Sixers could add him outright to the roster in free agency, former Sixers No. 2 pick Evan Turner expressed doubts about George’s ability to help them.

“(George) has a history of not showing up, which is an understatement,” Turner said on his podcast “Point Forward.” “I never met a human that would let a media rumor drive his energy or personality.”

Turner added that while George and Joel Embiid would make a good duo, he explained why it wouldn’t work.

“Do you know how soft that team gonna be if him and Embiid go together? It’ll probably be one of the most disappointing, like just unbelievably talented. It’d probably be the most skilled duo ever since Shaq and Kobe. That’s an understatement… Embiid would be hurt, and PG gonna be Paul though. I don’t like saying that, but that’s the truth, G.”

The Sixers drafted Turner with the No. 2 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. Turner did not live up to expectations in his time in Philadelphia. They then traded him to the Indiana Pacers in 2014, where he teamed up with George.

Sixers Considered ‘Foremost Threat’ to Sign Paul George

The rumors tying George to the Sixers have not stopped and will likely continue throughout the offseason. NBA Insider Marc Stein reported that the Sixers are the biggest threat to sign George on the #thisleague UNCUT podcast.

“They are seen as the foremost threat on the NBA map to swipe Paul George away from the Clippers. The Orlando Magic also have to be in that conversation, but it’s the 76ers who have the Clippers most concerned here, and I’m talking about long-term concerns,” as was transcribed by Bleacher Report’s Paul Kasabian.

The Sixers can offer George a max contract, which could be enough to pry him away from the Clippers. At 34 years old, George may want more financial security at this point in his career. The Sixers want upgrades around the roster, and George is among the biggest names who could be available in free agency.

Sixers May Chase Jimmy Butler if Paul George Re-Signs

There is always the chance that George stays with the Clippers. If that happens, Stein reported that the Sixers may explore avenues that would help them re-acquire Jimmy Butler.

“More than one rival team out there has likewise wondered whether Philadelphia, in the wake of its first-round exit, will mount a trade run at Butler to reacquire Joel Embiid’s close friend if the 76ers are unsuccessful in using their projected $50-plus million in salary cap space to acquire presumed top target Paul George,” Stein wrote in a May 5 story.

Butler played for the Sixers for the majority of the 2018-19 season. They then signed-and-traded him to the Miami Heat, where he’s had the most success in his entire career. Butler’s friendship with Embiid is well-documented, and together, that team came the closest to moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals.

It would be hard to see what the Sixers could offer in exchange for Butler.