Clippers Star Expected to Meet Sixers, Several Teams in Free Agency

Paul George will reportedly meet with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Mar 27, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; LA Clippers forward Paul George (13) controls the ball Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Paul George sweepstakes is heating up.

On Saturday night, the LA Clippers star chose to decline his player option for the 2024-2025 NBA season, showing there’s a chance his time in Los Angeles could end this summer.

The Philadelphia 76ers will get a chance to make a pitch to the star wing, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

When free agency opens this weekend, George is expected to hold a meeting with the Clippers. He’s also expected to entertain the Sixers and their Eastern Conference rival, the Orlando Magic.

The Sixers and the Magic have been viewed as potential George suitors since the start of free agency. Considering they have cap space for a max deal, and an intriguing situation for the championship-hungry wing, the Sixers have what George is looking for.

But the Clippers certainly can’t be ruled out. Although several reports have suggested the Clippers haven’t been willing to meet Paul’s asking price, perhaps the thought of losing him to another contender will force the Clippers to give in and meet the desired asking price.

Still, the Sixers shouldn’t be ruled out as a leverage play.

Despite seeing a ton of turnover from last year’s roster, the Sixers’ duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey has developed into one of the top cores in the league. The Sixers are now on the hunt for a George-caliber player, hoping that helps land in true championship contender territory.

Like Embiid and Maxey, George hasn’t acquired an NBA title. He’s had 11 playoff runs, with 114 postseason games of experience. In the playoffs, the All-Star scorer has averaged 21 points, eight rebounds, and four assists on 35 percent shooting from deep.

It’s unclear where George’s head is at, but it appears the Sixers are a top three finalist in his market, which is a positive sign after the situation got blurry last week.