Podcast P arrives in Philadelphia: Grading Paul George’s deal with the 76ers

One of the biggest offseason dominoes has fallen, as nine-time All-Star Paul George signed a four-year, $212 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. The news was first reported by ESPN, and potentially helps re-shape the landscape of the Eastern Conference. We’ll grade the deal from George’s perspective and from the 76ers’. All statistics are sourced from Basketball Reference.

CBS Sports and others brought up the noise surrounding George and his contract demands with the Los Angeles Clippers. They were only willing to offer him a three-year deal, when George was pushing for a fourth year. Talks broke down, which made it apparent the forward would be playing in a new team next season. Philadelphia gave him the four-year deal he sought.

Philadelphia cleared out their cap space in order to re-shape their roster for the near future. Paul George is going to be a big part of their push to finally get over the hump in the East. While there were other targets the 76ers could have prioritized, none have the resume or well-rounded skill set that George does. Forbes believes this is the biggest move of the NBA offseason.

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Paul George and Joel Embiid join ESPN’s coverage of the NBA Finals back in June, and Embiid alluded to the notion that George could soon be Sixer. The All-NBA center talked about players the franchise could bring in that would greatly help their fortunes, and then gave a side-eye glance at George.

While Philadelphia is one of the most difficult cities to call home in all of sports, George may not quite feel the same level of pressure that his contract might dictate he deserves. Tyrese Maxey was nothing short of sensational during the 76ers’ first round playoff series in 2024, and the team continues to revolve around Embiid. George can do his best to fill in the blanks.

The individual spotlight on George might not be as bright, but expectations for Philadelphia as a team are pretty high. The New York Post reported that the 76ers’ title odds improved with George’s signing, and are now more favorable than the New York Knicks’. The Knicks made their own blockbuster offseason move by trading for Mikal Bridges.

Of course, Paul George isn’t just a basketball player these days. He hosts one of the most popular athlete podcasts in media today, fittingly named “Podcast P.” It might have been a little easier for him to get marquee guests when he was playing in Los Angeles, but it would be a shock if Sixers teammates didn’t drop by the show often this season.

This isn’t the first time George has been on a roster filled with star talent. He played with Danny Granger on the Indiana Pacers, Russell Westbrook with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and both Kawhi Leonard and James Harden on the Clippers. He’s used to sharing the limelight, and might be more determined than ever to sacrifice in order to win a title.

The Ringer believes that landing George is a home run for the 76ers, calling the Philadelphia general manager a master of the contingency plan. Even if Morey didn’t envision bringing George in a year ago, his foresight to maintain enough cap flexibility to bring in a top-tier star allowed this moment to take place. They write that he fits seamlessly with Maxey and Embiid.

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The New York Times believes that the 76ers swung for the fences this summer, and had no choice but to go big or go home. Paul George is 34, and Embiid just turned 30 years old in March. The chances for an Embiid-led run to materialize are diminishing with each passing season, and Morey wasn’t going to watch the center waste his prime years.