Despite a positive trajectory for the Philadelphia 76ers this season — at least prior to Joel Embiid’s extended absence due to injury — the franchise has every reason to double their vision and look near and far at the same time. After all, they are slated to possess a potentially landscape-altering spending power this offseason.
Daryl Morey, the head of the snake for Philadelphia, has made zero inhibitions about the prospect of making the rich richer. The pairing of Embiid, the reigning Most Valuable Player, and Tyrese Maxey, one of the league’s biggest breakout stars this season, has given the franchise a sterling outlook for the foreseeable future, but the front office has also geared up for the possibility of landing another big fish to form a fearsome troika.
The Philadelphia 76ers won’t back down from pursuing this All-NBA forward in free agency
Owing to Morey and his camp’s well-documented itch for a third star, that offseason rumors have already commenced for the 76ers should quiver no one. But in this case, Philly is rumored to be one of the main players for Paul George, who will enter this summer as one of its most defining headliners.
The Clippers, in light of Kawhi Leonard’s lucrative extension and their solid case to win the title this season, are heavily expected to woo George into a likely re-upping. Naturally, the six-time All-NBA forward is also believed to be veering toward staying in Los Angeles, his hometown.
Having said that, according to Marc Stein (subscription required), the 76ers plan on continuing to be aggressive on luring George into joining them across the country in free agency, where they will have the armament to ink him to a tempting deal prior to extending Maxey.
"League sources say that Philadelphia continues to loom as an eager George suitor should he make it onto the open market and give the 76ers their formal opportunity to try to lure him across the country. The Sixers are said to maintain interest in George despite the widely held presumption that he and Leonard want to keep playing together in their native Southern California."Marc Stein, The Stein Line
George staying in LA is the most likely scenario, but Philly has all the tools to swoop in once the Clippers find themselves going fishing early once again in the playoffs. Keeping the Leonard-George pairing is already ambitious in itself, and adding James Harden to that must-resign mix could be more than enough to force the Clippers brass to consider re-tooling around Leonard instead.
Even at 33, Paul George has a skill set that should perfectly fit next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Should the Philadelphia 76ers get rewarded with their boldness in free agency, Philly finally hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy could very well be a matter of when, not if.