The Philadelphia 76ers made the biggest move of the summer around the NBA, signing All-Star forward Paul George to a massive four-year deal. George comes over to the 76ers from the Los Angeles Clippers after the two sides couldn’t come to terms on a new contract.
He now pairs alongside star center Joel Embiid and star guard Tyrese Maxey, creating one of the more interesting big threes in recent memory. There were hints all offseason that George could leave for the 76ers but none bigger than Embiid himself hinted at the possibility.
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During a pre-game show on ABC‘s broadcast of Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Embiid seemed to him at Philadelphia signing George. The forward was sitting next to Embiid on the panel discussing the NBA Finals and Embiid proceeded to side-eye him while speaking.
“Hopefully, this offseason we find a way to get better and add some pieces,” Embiid said, while gratuitously side-eyeing George.
During 76ers media day, George revealed when he started to think about the 76ers as a true destination. He admitted that even before free agency started, the 76ers crossed his mind and that the moment with Embiid wasn’t the start of him considering Philadelphia.
“So that moment was actually funny because I was kind of, already, feeling Philadelphia. Just a personal level. The opportunity to play alongside such a force in Joel. It was just funny that it caught everybody off-guard. But here I am.”
With George ultimately signing with the 76ers, the pressure is on Philadelphia to win at the highest level this season. They have a ton of depth around their three stars and are being seen as a legitimate threat to take down the reigning champion Boston Celtics.
Last season with Los Angeles, George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. He also shot 41.3 percent from beyond the 3-point line, showing off his range.
The 76ers will need to come together as a unit on the court but the talent they have is undeniable. George gives them another scoring punch on the wing, while also providing Philadelphia with a good defender as well.
He isn’t on the same level as he used to be due to age but George can still lock down other teams players throughout games. Philadelphia should thrive with Geiorge now on the roster as they look to stake their claim in the Eastern Conference.
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