Sixers Used Familiar Face to Seal Paul George Signing in Free Agency

The Philadelphia 76ers went star-hunting to start NBA free agency after getting bounced in the first round of the NBA playoffs against the New York Knicks. 

The Sixers entered the offseason with the most cap space in the league and capitalized on it by signing Paul George to a four-year, $212 million contract on Sunday. Philadelphia was viewed as the frontrunner to land the all-star forward in the hours leading up to the start of free agency.

However, Philly’s odds of signing George improved after the Orlando Magic inked Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a three-year deal, and the Los Angeles Clippers issued a statement saying that the All-Star would be signing with another team.

The Sixers were able to lock down the deal with George and his representation on Sunday night and had a familiar face in that meeting on the West Coast. In a story published by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski detailing the massive signing, the NBA insider mentioned that the Sixers brought front executive Peter Dinwiddie to the meeting.

You might be asking yourself, who is Peter Dinwiddie? And why is he important in the context of George signing with the Sixers? Dinwiddie is a friend of George from their time together with the Indiana Pacers.

George spent the first several years of his career with the Pacers after being drafted by the club with the 10th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.

The Sixers pulled out all the stops for the meeting with George, bringing prominent front office members, along with NBA Hall of Famer and Sixers legend Julius Erving. The 34-year-old forward was their number one target in free agency and felt he was the best option to play with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

Now, the Sixers hope that George can turn back the clock to his Indiana Pacers days where he was one of the more explosive wings in the Association.

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