The Philadelphia 76ers wasted no time on the opening day of free agency, making a slew of flashy signings spearheaded by a flagship acquisition in nine-time All-Star Paul George. Clearly, Daryl Morey and the entire front office weren’t playing around, managing to catapult the team up a tier or two in the East in just a flick.
While the job’s not yet done with the team still facing a bevy of open roster spots, the 76ers evidently came out as the biggest winner in Day 1 of free agency. Now, they have the ammo to compete with the Bostons and Denvers of the world. Let’s grade each of the new faces in Philly.
1. Paul George heads to the 76ers to form a lethal Big Three
The Philadelphia 76ers were rumored to be out on the Paul George sweepstakes not too long ago. But thanks to the dominoes falling their way, the franchise found a way to basically be the lone viable suitor for the All-Star forward, ultimately coming to terms with a four-year, max contract.
With Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and George now aboard, the 76ers may have just formed the NBA’s most talented trio, at least on paper. After a stretch of being in the pitied circle after Boston won the championship and New York amplified itself, Philly now has a strong case to represent the East in the Finals next season should that trio maximize what they are capable of individually and as a collective.
Maxing a 34-year-old will always be an overpay, but in this case, the 76ers couldn’t be more incentivized to do so. Embiid is still at the peak of his powers and Maxey should continue his emergence as an elite catalyst, and adding a perfect-fitting, battle-tested veteran star in George only figures to shatter whatever ceiling the team may have had before.
Grade: A