Sixers' Paul George Interest Takes Shocking Turn

The Philadelphia 76ers have a long list of things that need to be taken care of this offseason. They only have two certified locks to make the roster in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

After a painful first-round exit to the New York Knicks in the playoffs, the 76ers head into the offseason with a clear need to upgrade the roster.

They are expected to be really aggressive in the free agent market as they have $55.5 million in cap space. With that being said, their pursuit of Paul George has taken a turn.

76ers: Philadelphia's Interest in Paul George Has Faded Away

According to Shams Charania, the 76ers' desire to pursue Paul George has taken a serious step back over the past couple of days. They are now expected to be aggressive elsewhere in free agency but also in the NBA Draft.

This is a bit surprising, as the 76ers have been linked to George for a couple of weeks now.

The 76ers could offer George a four-year, $212 million max contract, which is certainly a large sum of money for a 34-year-old. Although George is still playing at a high level, giving him $53 million annually is a lot of money for someone who is expected to take your team over the top but hasn't done it in his career yet.

With the Clippers during the 2023-24 season, George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. Those are stout numbers but once again George and the Clippers fell short in the playoffs. With the pressure expected to be sky-high next season, it looks like the 76ers will be going in another direction.

Also, Maxey is eligible to sign a five-year, $205 million extension. With two max players expected to be under the books, general manager Daryl Morey may want to add quality role players instead of one max player.

It's still early in the process so we'll have to wait to see how things unfold.

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