The NBA offseason is always filled with unknowns. From trade talks to pending free agents, there is always a level of uncertainty that impacts both the Eastern and Western Conferences. This summer, it was the Philadelphia 76ers that played the role of “wild card,” as their enormous amount of cap space provided them with the ability to pursue several of the market's biggest names. Daryl Morey and the 76ers made it their mission to land another All-Star-caliber player next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, which is why the organization went all in on two-way star Paul George.
After spending the last five years close to home with the Los Angeles Clippers, George decided that it was time for a change in scenery. With the Clippers, George made the Western Conference Finals only once, and the constant inconsistency surrounding the roster's availability, specifically Kawhi Leonard, surely played a role in his decision to head back to the East.
Whereas the West is loaded with talented teams vying for a championship, the East is a lot more wide open. Still, Philadelphia is going to have to get past the likes of the Boston Celtics, who are the defending champions, among other contenders like the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks.
The 76ers have long been looking to add another All-Star to their roster. With Maxey and Embiid playing the best basketball of their respective careers, now was the time for the organization to push all of their chips in for an established star like George, who can take a lot of pressure off the backs of the Sixers two current stars. However, George did not come at a cheap price.
In order to steal him from the Clippers, the 76ers gave George a four-year, $211.5 million max contract that has an average annual salary of $52.9 million per season. With Maxey agreeing to his five-year, $203.8 million contract extension this offseason, that means the Sixers now have their new Big 3 locked up and under contract for an average of $144.8 million per season over the next three years.
That is a lot of funds being allocated to three players, especially if things don't go as planned for the 76ers. Going out and signing George seems like a no-brainer move for this franchise, but there is now no room for error in Philadelphia. In fact, anything less than winning the 2025 NBA Finals will be looked at as a failure for this team.
Whether or not the 76ers can truly live up to their expectations is the biggest question mark surrounding this franchise. While George is undeniably one of the best two-way players on the wing in the league, he is now 34 years old. At some point, wear and tear is going to catch up to him, and the Sixers guaranteed their new star over $200 million through the 2027-28 season, when he will be 37.
As far as Philadelphia's long-term approach goes, this may be the biggest risk any team in the NBA took this offseason. At the same time, making Embiid happy and capitalizing on Maxey's substantial growth were the only things the 76ers had in mind.
Adding George was step one in Morey's plan, and filling out the rest of the roster with experienced, capable talents was step two.
76ers key offseason additions and departures
Additions: G/F Paul George (FA – LAC), F Caleb Martin (FA – MIA), C Andre Drummond (FA – CHI), G Eric Gordon (FA – PHX), G Reggie Jackson (FA – DEN), F Guerschon Yabusele (FA – France), G Jared McCain (Draft)
Departures: F Tobias Harris (FA – DET), G/F Buddy Hield (FA – GSW), G De'Anthony Melton (FA – GSW), F Nic Batum (FA – LAC), C Mo Bamba (FA – LAC), F Robert Covington (free agency)
The start of the offseason for the 76ers surrounded Tobias Harris and his future with the organization. With Harris becoming an unrestricted free agent, the Sixers finally had the financial flexibility they needed in order to land a star like George. Due to the organization's relationship with Harris going sour, the veteran forward ultimately decided to sign a new deal with the Detroit Pistons, whom he had played for previously in his career.
Others, such as Buddy Hield, De'Anthony Melton, Nic Batum, and Mo Bamba, also departed Philadelphia in search of new homes. Funny enough, both Hield and Melton ended up together with the Golden State Warriors, as Batum and Bamba also went west to the Clippers.
The goal for Morey and the 76ers front office entering free agency was simple: find the right role players to surround Embiid, Maxey, and George with. After landing George, the Sixers began filling in their roster with depth at every position.
Andre Drummond returns to Philadelphia to be Embiid's backup, and Eric Gordon is once again reunited with Morey as an experienced scoring guard on the team's bench. Perhaps the 76ers most underrated signing, and one of the more underrated moves across the league, was Caleb Martin.
For years, Martin has been a thorn in the side of basically every other team in the Eastern Conference during his time with the Miami Heat. He can get hot from the perimeter in any game, and Martin is simply one of those do-it-all players who doesn't give up on any play. Gritty and tough are the two words that best describe the 28-year-old's game.
If there is one type of player Nick Nurse and the 76ers coaching staff were lacking last season, it was this type of player. Martin is immediately going to make an impact as a key role player on the wing for Philly, especially on the defensive side of the court.
“The last couple years, I’ve been a part of a lot of winning,” Martin said after signing with the 76ers. “That’s been a main factor for me, especially the last couple years. I just think this is one of the best places to do it. They’re putting a great team together. They’ve got a lot of guys with a lot of talent so I think it should elevate my game in a personal way and as a team, I feel like we can do something special.”
Like Gordon, Reggie Jackson is another serviceable veteran who can play his role to perfection. Once thought to be out of the league, Jackson revitalized his career with the Clippers before joining Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets last season. Jackson helps form one of the more impressive backcourts in the league with Maxey and Kyle Lowry.
Speaking of backcourt talents, we also can't forget the 76ers adding Jared McCain with the 16th overall selection in the 2024 NBA Draft. It will take time for McCain to reach his potential on both sides of the court, but he enters the NBA ready to make an impact as a shooter on the perimeter. The rookie is a very smart facilitator who understands spacing on the court, which makes him the ideal type of guard to potentially pair with Maxey long-term.
The 76ers have completely rebuilt their roster, and everything revolved around signing George in free agency. Now that the Sixers have three All-Stars, all the attention is now cast on how George can help impact winning in Philadelphia.
Paul George's fit with 76ers
Out of all the players that the Sixers could have pursued this summer, George is the one that made the most sense. In addition to proving to be an excellent primary scoring option throughout his entire career, George can also make a difference in areas that don't always show up in the stats.
It is a shame that George oftentimes draws negative attention from fans because he is such a talented player. Defensively, he is still one of the better two-way players this league has to offer. Offensively, George has not averaged less than 22 points per game each of the last four seasons while shooting an average of 39.3 percent from deep in this span. Good things happen when George is on the court, and he is the type of player that can really thrive next to Embiid since he doesn't always need the ball in his hands to find success.
With the Clippers, George ended up being the team's primary option a lot of times on offense due to Leonard's absence. However, when Leonard was healthy, George seemed at peace playing off the ball and taking advantage of his opportunities when they came instead of forcing the action. This is the exact role the 76ers envision him in next to Embiid, as all of the attention of their opponents is going to be cast on the Sixers' MVP.
Not only will George see more catch-and-shoot opportunities as a result, but there will be driving lanes that open up on the floor as a result of the attention Embiid commands. It is awfully hard to stop Embiid, and now Philadelphia's opponents will have to worry about Maxey and George getting hot on offense as well.
The best part about George's arrival in Philadelphia, aside from the scoring he can provide the team with, is his demeanor. The veteran is welcoming this new change in his life, and while he may not always be the focus of the team, he is ready to help Philadelphia reach new levels, while also bringing out the best in his teammates.
“Definitely look forward to coming to Philly,” George told ClutchPoints' Sam DiGiovanni this summer. “My family's looking forward to it. We felt that this was the best and next step in this phase of my career. I thought everything just aligned perfectly where they're at and where they're trying to go and where I'm trying to get to as well. I think we got a real, legitimate shot.”
Through 14 years in the NBA and being named an All-Star nine different times, all George cares about is contending for a championship. Philadelphia is looking to finally break their curse and make it out of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, while George is looking for a team dedicated to winning at the highest level possible.
That is why this pairing has a lot of potential to work.
“There's no ego with me,” George continued. “It's not about shots for me, it's not about having the ball in my hands the whole game. It's about winning. I wanna make winning plays. I know over the course of a game when I need to be aggressive, when I need to raise the level. But for me, it's about winning.
“That's all I care about is trying to win, putting everything towards that.”
Sixers 2024-25 season outlook
Health is the biggest factor that could wind up holding the 76ers back… again.
The constant conversation about Joel Embiid being available and healthy seems to be the ultimate downfall of this franchise, as Embiid has not played in more than 68 games in a season throughout his entire career.
Just this past season, Embiid only played in 39 games due to a variety of injuries, including a meniscus injury that sidelined him for nearly two months.
There are no givens in the NBA. While the East is certainly less competitive than the West, the 76ers still have their work cut out for them.
The key to the 76ers finding success is obviously contingent on Embiid being on the floor, but it will also be heavily influenced by the impact secondary players like Martin, Drummond, and Gordon make. Kelly Oubre Jr., whom the team brought back in free agency this offseason, is another secondary piece that is going to have to impact the game offensively in order for Philadelphia to find success.
When you look at the last few teams to win a title, what stands out is their depth. While the Warriors had Stephen Curry in 2022, it was their bench unit and secondary talents like Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole that stepped up. In 2023, the same narrative can revolve around secondary talents like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown next to Nikola Jokic. This past season, the Celtics leaned on their stars, but it was Derrick White and Al Horford that played huge roles during the postseason.
Morey and the 76ers front office have done what was needed to turn around the organization's recent misfortunes. Now, time will tell if Philadelphia can live up to the hype with George joining the mix.
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