Honestly, I never thought this would happen, but it did.
After forward Paul George After he told the Los Angeles Clippers he would not re-sign with them and instead join a new team, the Philadelphia 76ers have become the favorite to acquire him in free agency, Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Sunday. ESPN.
George's agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA, met with Clippers president Lawrence Frank on Sunday night but no deal was made. Later that evening, after talks fell apart, Los Angeles released an official statement saying George was no longer with the Clippers. (RELATED: Chris Paul signs one-year, $11M+ deal with Spurs to pair with Victor Wembanyama: Report)
According to Woj, Paul George and the Sixers are scheduled to meet in California late Sunday night.
“We have been informed that Paul will be signing his next contract with another team,” the Clippers said in a statement. “Paul is an incredible talent and a premium two-way player, and we feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend the five years with him. During that time, he played in three All-Star Games, made the most three-pointers in franchise history and helped lead the team to unprecedented heights. His performances in Games 5 and 6 against Utah in 2021 will be one that everyone associated with the Clippers will remember.”
“We made a lot of trades to pair Paul with Kawhi. [Leonard]Instead, we competed for five seasons. Although we fell short of our ultimate goal, I'm grateful for the opportunity that Paul and I had.”
The Clippers have officially announced that Paul George is leaving the team. pic.twitter.com/OVxnJ7SMlg
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 1, 2024
The Clippers' withdrawal makes the 76ers the favorite to acquire Paul George as a free agent, according to an ESPN source. The 76ers' roster is scheduled to meet with George tonight in California. https://t.co/gkke3FW4gc
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2024
The first big free agency domino is about to fall… hang in there, everyone.