The Philadelphia 76ers pulled off quite the arbitrary move when they willingly handed Paul George a maximum contract last year, only for it to backfire after just one season and then some. Pundits, however, never deemed it the worst contract in the NBA thanks to Bradley Beal who, without a doubt, was under an even worse deal with the Suns.
That stands to change now, though.
After two relatively unproductive seasons in Phoenix, the three-time All-Star has now ejected himself from the Suns. As first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, Beal and the Suns have agreed to a contract buyout, with the former giving back $13.9 million out of the $110 million owed to him on the final two years of his contract to complete the same.
Beal now heads to the Clippers to the tune of a massive two-year, $11 million discount. He joins an LA team which just lost Norman Powell to an earlier trade, giving them an even better and experienced option at shooting guard.
Good for Beal. But for the 76ers, this only means that their mistake with George will only get the limelight more moving forward.
The 76ers may now have the worst contract in the NBA with Paul George
George, who is now 35 years old, is set to earn $51.6, $54, and $56.5 million over the next three years, with the final one subject to a player option he is extremely unlikely to decline at that point. Giving those figures to him last year was a huge gamble, although imbued with a lot of sense and reason. But recent circumstances have already pegged the 76ers as the losers in this deal.
Last season, George turned in his worst year since his rookie campaign, struggling to find his rhythm and be aggressive enough thanks to injuries. But at 35, there is little reason to believe that he can be an NBA iron man somehow, and an ill-timed injury which prompted him to undergo surgery is yet another proof that taking risks on aging stars is far from an ideal option.
His status for training camp is still yet to be determined, but anyhow, for a player whose stylings depend heavily on rhythm and flow, missing a huge chunk of time will only eat away at his production, which is already on a steep decline.
With Beal’s albatross contract now extinguished — at least as initially constructed — George’s deal might just be the worst one in the NBA. The Philadelphia 76ers are never going to be able to find a willing taker for the nine-time All-Star, who is swiftly losing to Father Time due to natural decline and injuries.
Screw you, Brad.