Paul George declines player option and becomes free agent, keeping Sixers’ star-hunting pursuit alive

Paul George is officially a free agent, after multiple reports surfaced Saturday afternoon that he had declined his $48.7 million player option with the Los Angeles Clippers for the 2024-25 season.

Which means the 76ers remain a threat to land the perennial All-Star wing when free agency opens Sunday evening.

Had George opted into the final year of his deal, it would have almost certainly been to force a trade, most likely to the Golden State Warriors, per reports. The New York Knicks were also viewed as a potential trade option until they acquired two-way wing Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets earlier this week.

Instead, George hits the open market.

This could be a leverage ploy to try to force George’s hometown Clippers into offering a full four-year max deal, which they have been unwilling to do since signing superstar teammate Kawhi Leonard to a three-year extension in January.

But George has long been viewed as the Sixers’ top offseason target to pair with 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid and All-Star Tyrese Maxey, in an effort to challenge the championship-winning Boston Celtics. The Sixers and upstart Orlando Magic, who will also reportedly receive a meeting with George, are the only playoff-caliber teams with realistic capability to sign George into their available cap space this summer.

And Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has made clear since his end-of-season news conference in early May that he still believes in collecting star talent. George has long boasted the frame and skill to be a standout on both ends of the floor, averaging 22.6 points on 47.1% shooting, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals last season. But his age (he turned 34 in May) and injury history have drawn questions from outsiders about committing to a lengthy, lucrative max contract.

» READ MORE: The Sixers are going free-agent shopping. They’ve previously hit the market with mixed results.

“The reality is you need very good players,” Morey said in May. “You need better players than your opponents, and there isn’t really a formula. As long as the players are playing at a high level, we’re focused on Joel and Tyrese — and we’re focused on now.”

George will reportedly begin in-person meetings late Sunday. He could make a swift choice, as many players do once the free-agency flurry officially begins. Or, he could put the Sixers’ crucial summer in a holding pattern, where each day that passes feels excruciatingly long.

George’s decision-making, after all, is tough to predict. He shocked the NBA universe in 2019, when he forced a trade out of the Oklahoma City Thunder to join Leonard in Los Angeles. And when George chose to re-sign with the Thunder the summer prior, he did so at a late-night party with then-teammate Russell Westbrook.

If George returns to the Clippers, the remaining options for the Sixers have dwindled in recent days.

Brandon Ingram is still a star-level trade possibility, especially after the New Orleans Pelicans did not include him in their deal to acquire Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray Friday night. Versatile wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has declined his player option with the Denver Nuggets, putting him on the open market. Longtime-yet-aging All-Stars Klay Thompson and DeMar DeRozan are still free-agents-to-be, with a report from The Athletic’s Anthony Slater surfacing Saturday evening that the Warriors are “preparing” to lose Thompson. Bruce Brown, who had his option picked up by the Toronto Raptors to make him a trade chip, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who is on a Minnesota Timberwolves roster that is about to become expensive, could also be attractive.

But that list is already significantly shorter than it was less than two weeks ago.

» READ MORE: Sixers rookie Jared McCain isn’t bothered by critics, and won’t change a thing: ‘I’m always going to be myself’

After the Knicks traded for Bridges, they quickly agreed to a new contract with standout wing OG Anunoby. Defensive guard Alex Caruso, a long-coveted trade target across the league, was acquired by the Thunder before the draft. Pascal Siakam and Malik Monk agreed to return to the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings, respectively. Per ESPN, former Sixer Jimmy Butler is not expected to ask for a trade from the Miami Heat, even if they do not come to terms on an extension.

And from the pie-in-the-sky category, LeBron James is expected to return to the Los Angeles Lakers after the team drafted his son, Bronny, and hired former podcasting partner JJ Redick to be the team’s head coach. Kevin Durant, meanwhile, is not on the market, according to an emphatic post on X (formerly Twitter) by Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia.

George’s choice — and how long it takes — could also impact how the Sixers proceed with their own free agents, with whom they have been permitted to negotiate since the NBA Finals ended on June 16. Of those 11 players, veteran forward Nico Batum, veteran guard Kyle Lowry, and athletic wing Kelly Oubre Jr. are the most likely to return, a source told The Inquirer.

But George remains the biggest domino still to fall.

His decision Saturday keeps the Sixers in the running.

Now, a new wait begins.

The 76ers are gearing up for a crucial free-agency period beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday. With ample salary-cap space available, the Sixers are in position to make significant moves to bolster their roster around All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Join Inquirer beat reporters Gina Mizell and Keith Pompey, as they recap the flurry of initial signings for the Sixers and around the league at noon on Monday.