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Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid tweeted “Here we go!!!” at the start of the NBA free agency on June 30. Shortly after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported their top target Paul George is not returning to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Was it just a coincidence or Embiid knows something?
Because Wojnarowski added that the 76ers are now the frontrunners in the Paul George sweepstakes.
“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,” Wojnarowski tweeted.
Embiid made a subtle recruitment pitch to George when they both appeared in the June 14 episode of NBA Countdown during the NBA Finals.
When the topic shifted to the Boston Celtics and the 76ers’ big offseason in their bid to unseat them, Embiid gestured to George.
“I can’t stand them. I hate Boston. Great city. Great fans. They’ve got some great players. Hopefully, this offseason, we find a way to get better and add some pieces,” Embiid said while glancing at George mid-sentence.
The 34-year-old George is coming off his ninth All-Star season, averaging 22.6 points on a still elite 47/41/91 shooting split. He added 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals across 74 games, the most games he played since joining the Clippers.
Sixers Prepared to Offer Paul George Max Deal
The 76ers, along with the Orlando Magic made it to the short list of George’s free agency meetings, per Wojnarowski.
Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported both the 76ers and the Magic are prepared to offer George his four-year maximum contract worth $212 million.
“Both the 76ers and Magic, sources said, are prepared to lavish George with four-year maximum contracts,” Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer wrote on June 30.
The 76ers have just Embiid Paul Reed, and Ricky Council IV – under contract.
Their star point guard Tyrese Maxey is a restricted free agent but is already expected to land a $205 million max contract after using their cap room, per The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey on June 4.
Clippers’ Loss Could Be Sixers’ Biggest Gain
The Clippers officially acknowledged Paul will not return next season.
In a team statement obtained by Heavy Sports, the Clippers cited the punitive Collective Bargaining Agreement on second apron teams as the main culprit behind their reluctance to offer George a max deal.
“Heading into this offseason, our roster was constructed of three great players 33 and over, two of whom could become free agents. We wanted to retain them on contracts that would allow us, under the constraints of the new CBA, to continue building the team.
We negotiated for months with Paul and his representative on a contract that would make sense for both sides, and we were left far apart. The gap was significant. We understand and respect Paul’s decision to look elsewhere for his next contract. We explored an opt-in and trade scenario, but it would have left us in a similar position under the new CBA, with very little asset value to justify the restrictions,” the Clippers said in the statement.
A potential Big 3 of Embiid, George and Maxey along with the additions of veterans Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon could make the 76ers one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference next season.
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