Paul George was among the most sought-after players in the free agent market this year. The Warriors tried to acquire the nine-time All-Star and for a brief amount of time, it seemed as if PG would join Steph and company. But when George announced his free agency, the rumors around him in a Warriors jersey disappeared. The Magic were also amongst the teams who were interested in adding PG to the roster. However, the Sixers, who at the time could’ve signed any superstar in free agency given their salary cap, introduced a major piece to their puzzle.

Coming back to the East, Paul George just made the Sixers a serious contender. But on the other hand, he left LA. Of course, there was no success apart from the Conference Finals appearance, but for the most part, it did seem that the Clippers respected George. However, when it came to offering him an extension, the front office didn’t take much in value. It got to a point where PG felt disrespected. In a recent episode of PG’s podcast, the new Sixer revealed the negotiations that may come as surprising to some fans.

“Just to put it out there like, I never wanted to leave LA. LA is home, this is where I wanted to finish at. I wanted to work as hard as possible. To win one in LA, like, that was the goal… As it played out though, like the first initial deal was, I thought, kind of disrespectful. Again, in all of this, no hard feelings. So the first initial deal was like two-year $60 million. So I’m like, ‘That’s crazy’. I’m like, ‘Nah, I’m not signing that’.”, added George.

The reason behind the same could’ve been to do with PG’s consistency. But at the same, it hadn’t been long to the time when he led the Clippers to the Conference Finals. The front office could’ve matched Kawhi‘s offer, but they didn’t. These negotiations went as long as four months before the 2023 trade deadline. As they entered the following season, PG13 went out. He played 72 games and had the most consistent season of his career. Only at that point did the Clippers offer the desired deals, but then again, it came with a catch. While the Clippers were willing to offer him a three-year $150 million, they did not include the no-trade clause. For a player who was committed to winning a title in LA, it was the least they could do, but in the end, it led PG to explore the offseason market.

Paul George can bring a heavy impact to the Sixers

We know that the East has no more than two or three squads that have been favored title contenders. The Bucks, the Celtics, and the Knicks. While Philly has been in conversations about making it to the Finals, their struggles were visible this postseason. Maxey was the primary scorer alongside Embiid, but they still lacked consistent shooting. With PG on the floor, the Sixers offense will become a problem. Not to mention Kelly Oubre and another new member, Caleb Martin.

The Sixers might have the best odds they’ve ever had, though it will take some time to settle in. There’s undoubtedly a lot of talent on the roster, but the key would be to stick to playing patiently. When a team has a bunch of scorers, they are mostly in control of the tempo, and that will be the case with the Sixers this upcoming season. What are your thoughts on PG and his negotiations with the Clippers? Do you think they should’ve included a no-trade clause? Let us know in the comments.

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