Paul George Won’t Sign Clippers Contract in NBA FA; 76ers Rumored to Be Front-Runners

As the opening day of free agency continues, Paul George’s time with the Los Angeles Clippers seems to be over.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Sunday that George’s agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA, met with Clippers president Lawrence Frank for a conversation that “resulted in no new movement” toward a new contract for George. Because of that, Wojnarowski reported, the Philadelphia 76ers have become the front-runner to sign the veteran.

Wojnarowski also reported that the Clippers and George plan to move on from each other. The Clippers confirmed the news, releasing a statement that revealed George plans to sign elsewhere:

“Paul has informed us that he is signing his next contract with another team,” the statement read. “Paul is a tremendous talent and an elite two-way player. We feel fortunate for the five years we spent with him. Over that span, he went to three All-Star Games, made the most 3-pointers in franchise history and helped lead the team to a place it had never been. His performances in Games 5 and 6 against Utah in 2021 won’t be forgotten by anyone associated with the Clippers.”

The statement also noted that the team and George were not close on a potential new deal.

“We negotiated for months with Paul and his representative on a contract that would make sense for both sides, and we were left far apart,” the statement continued. “The gap was significant. We understand and respect Paul’s decision to look elsewhere for his next contract. We explored an opt-in and trade scenario, but it would have left us in a similar position under the new CBA, with very little asset value to justify the restrictions.”

George’s departure ends a somewhat disappointing five-year era for the Clippers. Los Angeles’ best result was a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2021, but it had two first-round exits, a second-round exit and missed the playoffs completely in 2022.

The Clippers will now look to replace George in free agency, while the star forward looks to find a new team.

Along with the 76ers, George reportedly plans to meet with the Orlando Magic, though it will to make the money work after signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a $66 million contract.