No one is probably going to give the Philadelphia 76ers some glowing reviews when it comes to their decision to hand Paul George a max contract in free agency a couple of years ago. After all, the nine-time All-Star is, without a doubt, a shell of his former self, and two seasons in, the strong possibility is that his decline is not going to stop anytime soon.
However, the 76ers do not really have the luxury of optionality with regard to the veteran. He is still owed more than $110 million over the next two years, and there is no team out there who would realistically want to absorb his contract. Be that as it may, the most ideal pathway for the team might actually be the one fans loathe the most –– letting him finish out his deal.
Under the unyielding premise that the 76ers will be unable to flip George to another ball club, the only option the team has is to allow him to play without distractions next season and hope that he declines his player option for the 2027-28 campaign in order to, say, renegotiate a longer deal as he enters the twilight of his career. But from an actual basketball pondering, he still has a lot to offer to the group.
The 76ers have no other choice but to keep and hold firm on Paul George
George's first two seasons with the 76ers both began with injury-related absences, which have impacted his momentum all year long. However, the worm turned for him in the recently concluded season when he came back from a league-imposed suspension that caused him to miss 25 games in ther regular season. Since his comeback from that juncture, he managed to showcase his two-way prowess for Philly.
PG tallied 21 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.2 steals a night on the average during that span, shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from three-point range. In the playoffs, he was still able to put up solid numbers despite his lower usage, leading all players in three-point shooting percentage while allowing the lowest field goal percentage on defense.
If there is one thing which even his biggest detractors cannot deny, it is the fact that he remains one of the best two-way forwards in the NBA. The simple reality is that he no longer has the usage of a foundational star, which is perfectly okay for a 76ers squad already touting two of those and brewing another young buck to that effect.
Many might not like it, but the 76ers should simply allow nature to run its course with respect to Paul George. In all likelihood, he is not going anywhere. For the sake of their on-court chemistr, the team should simply embrace him and allow him to fill his more streamlined role the only way he can.
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