Paul George

Sixers Notes: Training Camp, George, McCain, Oubre

October 6th, 2024 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers are ready for preseason games to get started after wrapping up training camp in the Bahamas on Saturday, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Spirits are high following an offseason roster makeover that included the addition of Paul George, the top name on this year’s free agent market.

“We had everything that we needed. I feel like a lot of teams can say that. But I feel like last year one of our main things was like that third punch, at times,” Ricky Council said. “We knew we had Tyrese (Maxey). We knew we had Joel (Embiid). But who was going to be that next punch? Who was going to be that defensive stopper? All those types of things. And I feel like we have all that and some this year. … So I feel like our depth is good. Our talent is there. We’re going to play hard. So I think we have it all.”

In addition to bringing in George, Philadelphia fortified its roster with Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, Andre Drummond, Reggie Jackson and Guerschon Yabusele, along with first-round pick Jared McCain. Coach Nick Nurse had a lot of new weapons to work with during camp, and he believes the week was productive.

“I think we got put in a lot of situations that happened organically this week, which, again, I think helped,” Nurse said. “We brought a big number to camp, which I think helped. I liked the energy, the enthusiasm for the youth. I think that helped. Lots of stuff. So, yeah, I’d say it’s a big two thumbs up for sure.”

There’s more on the Sixers:

George has played alongside plenty of All-Stars throughout his career, and he believes the combination with Embiid and Maxey works “extremely well” together, Pompey states in a separate story. The Sixers’ new Big Three will be relied on to carry the team at both ends of the court, and George is willing to do whatever is necessary to make it successful. “I think just continuing to play off the ball,” he said of his role in the trio. “Continue to find my rhythm, staying aggressive whether I have the ball or I don’t have the ball. But I think just giving myself up for the team, whether it’s spacing, cutting, getting Tyrese off the ball because he’s getting [hot] or finding opportunities to get Joel easy looks and touches as well.”
McCain is already learning something important about the NBA by being around his new teammates, especially those who have been in the league for several years, Pompey adds. “A lot of it is taking care of their bodies,” McCain said. “We got some older people so they have to take care of their bodies. But yeah, just making sure your mental’s straight, making sure you’re getting your work in before and after practice, but just kind of simple things.”
Kelly Oubre has a lot more security now than when he joined the Sixers last summer on a veteran’s minimum contract, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Oubre signed a two-year, $16.3MM deal over the offseason, and he feels like a veteran leader on the team. “I just wanted to go to where the love was at,” he said. “… It’s hard to kind of accept me as a human being because I’m very eccentric. I’m me. So once you kind of understand who I am, it makes things easier. I was like, ‘I want to stay where I’m at because they know me and they know my heart and my intentions and who I am off the court.’”

Atlantic Notes: Morris, Knicks, Embiid, George, Nets

October 1st, 2024 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward Marcus Morris has decided not to rejoin the Knicks on a new training camp deal after being waived by New York over the weekend, tweets James L. Edwards of The Athletic. Ian Begley of SNY.tv confirms (via Twitter) that Morris has declined an offer to return to the Knicks.

Morris’ release appeared to be a logistical move that would allow the Knicks to open up the roster spots needed to complete the sign-and-trades involved in their Karl-Anthony Towns trade with Minnesota. There would be nothing stopping the veteran forward from re-signing with New York once that deal is official.

However, as Edwards explains, the financial restrictions created by the Towns trade will make Morris less likely to make the Knicks’ regular season roster, so he’s looking to join a new team before the NBA’s season begins three weeks from Tuesday.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

The Knicks made a series of splashy, ill-fated roster moves earlier in the 21st century, but the trade for Towns is something different, according to Howard Beck of The Ringer, who makes the case for why this big swing actually makes sense for the organization.
Having expressed on Monday that his number one goal this season is to make sure he’s healthy for the playoffs, Sixers center Joel Embiid told reporters that the quality and depth of the team’s roster should take some pressure off him during the regular season, as Aaron Carter of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays. “In the past, I felt like I had to (take over),” Embiid said. “This year, I don’t think I’m going to have to do it, unless I have to do it. So I really have a lot of confidence in these guys to figure it out and for me to just use myself as a decoy to allow (them) to be themselves and be good at what they do best.”
Discussing his fit in Philadelphia, new Sixers wing Paul George said this will be the first time that he’s played alongside “an elite point guard and elite big man all at once,” per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Like Embiid, George is bullish on the idea that the Sixers’ stars and quality role players can all make life easier for one another. “Having the floor spaced around (Tyrese Maxey) and myself, being able to play off a big man and play in transition with Tyrese, I think all three of us can flow and make the game easy for all of us,” George said. “I love sharing the ball and I love being aggressive to score. So I kind of think all three of us look at the game the same way.”
The Nets are using an unflattering over/under line from oddsmakers (19.5 wins) as motivation as they prepare for the 2024/25 season, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “I find it disrespectful. Just because we’ve got a lot of guys that people don’t know doesn’t mean we’re going to win just 19 games,” center Day’Ron Sharpe said on Monday. “You can’t be one foot out and one foot in. I’m trying to win as many games as possible and a lot of people are going to doubt us and we’re gonna show them.”

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Roster Questions, New Arena

September 29th, 2024 at 1:41pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Last week, All-Star Sixers center Joel Embiid inked a three-season, $192.9MM contract extension that runs through 2028, with a player option for ’28/29. According to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer, this agreement is the latest example of a newfound stability in Philadelphia under team president Daryl Morey.

Mizell notes that, even with Embiid’s lengthy injury history, it was practically a given that the Sixers would lock up their best player long-term when given the opportunity. After All-Star point guard James Harden dramatically forced his way to the Clippers last season, this kind of steadying move is just what the doctor ordered.

Mizell notes that Tyrese Maxey has now evolved into an All-Star in Harden’s absence, and he, too, has been locked into a long-term new deal this summer.

There’s more out of the City of Brotherly Love:

In a separate article for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Mizell cooks up a question for each player on the Sixers roster heading into the 2024/25 season. For Embiid, obviously the top question is how Philadelphia will manage the 30-year-old’s health throughout the regular season and heading into the playoffs. For new All-Star signing Paul George, the primary question becomes how he fits into the club’s system.
Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker revealed some details on the agreement to build the new, $1.3 billion Sixers arena downtown, per The Associated Press. The team will fund the project itself, without relying on the city at all, per Parker. The new deal will also require a $50MM contribution to schools, communities and local businesses to offset any potential disruptions made during the build. “I truly am proud having made this decision and negotiated an agreement that will definitely ensure that our Sixers are staying home right here in Philadelphia, where they should be,” Parker said.
In case you missed it, the Sixers recently completed a two-way deal with free agent guard Lester Quinones.

Los Angeles Notes: George, Valanciunas, James

September 3rd, 2024 at 7:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Paul George‘s father, Paul George Sr., didn’t hold back his feelings about how his son’s contract negotiations with the Clippers played out. Appearing on his son’s podcast, ‘Podcast P with Paul George,’ George Sr. said he felt betrayed by his son’s former club.

“I felt like they stabbed us in the back because I thought Paul did a whole lot for the team, as far as the fanbase, the fans was there. He was there,” he said, per Tomer Azerly of Clutch Points. “I think he gave them 110% and what he was asking, it wasn’t a whole lot. But they saw something different.”

The younger George detailed earlier that he felt the Clippers’ initial offer was “disrespectful.” That offer was for two years and $60MM.

“I didn’t want him just to take anything,” George Sr. said. “So his whole thing is, he does stand up for what he believes in. And so he felt that that was a bunch of bull that they came at him with. And I wasn’t gonna sugarcoat it either. Yeah, I’m behind you 100%. If you’ve got to leave, we’re gonna leave.”

We have more on the Los Angeles teams:

Jonas Valanciunas, who was signed by the Wizards, was one of the free agents reportedly on LeBron James‘ wish list this offseason. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha believes the Lakers could pursue an in-season trade for the veteran big man but would prefer other centers if they’re on the market, he said on a podcast (hat tip to HoopsHype). “There was some interest obviously and he was on LeBron’s list so I think the Lakers will probably revisit that, but I don’t think there’s as much interest as a guy like a Wendell Carter or some of these other guys that have popped up,” Buha said. “So I view it more as like a mid-to-low tier trade target for the Lakers.”
Speaking of James, he’s not expected to be on Team USA’s roster for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. He claims he could compete for an Olympic medal in other sports, if given enough time to train, he said on ‘The Shop’ podcast (hat tip to BasketNews.com). “If you give me some time, about six months, eight months, or whatever, I think I could do the long jump, maybe, or the high jump,” James said.
In case you missed it, the Lakers agreed to a training camp deal with Jordan Goodwin. Get the details here.

And-Ones: Rookie Scale Extensions, $500MM Players, Beverley, Muhammad, T. Robinson

August 31st, 2024 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Three of the first four players selected in the 2021 draft have already received rookie scale extensions, but Rockets guard Jalen Green may have to wait until next summer, writes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Despite a strong finish to last season, there are still questions about Green after three years in the NBA. Houston may want to maximize its cap space for 2025, and Pincus suggests the Rockets’ final offer to Green may not be in the neighborhood of what fellow top four picks Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes received.

That philosophy would also affect Alperen Sengun, who was taken with the 16th pick in 2021. Pincus suggests that Sengun could receive a generous offer before the October 21 deadline if the Rockets are planning to pick up Fred VanVleet‘s $44.9MM option for the 2025/26 season. However, the Turkish center will only have a $16.3MM cap hold if the team plans to decline its option on VanVleet and operate using cap space.

Pincus’ comments are part of his analysis of the entire first round from 2021 and the likelihood of an extension for each remaining player. He gives a C-minus to Cunningham’s new deal, stating that the Pistons assumed unnecessary risk when they could have signed him to a similar contract next summer. The Cavaliers‘ Mobley extension gets a B-minus from Pincus, while the Raptors‘ Barnes extension rates a B-plus.

There’s more news from around the basketball world:

Stephen Curry‘s extension with the Warriors and Paul George‘s max contract with the Sixers will push them above $500MM in career earnings, joining LeBron James and Kevin Durant as the only players with deals in place to reach that figure, notes Steve Henson of The Los Angeles Times. James Harden will top $400MM under his new two-year, $70MM deal with the Clippers, while Chris Paul will get close to that number after joining the Spurs for one year at $10.46MM.
Longtime NBA guard Patrick Beverley made his debut for Hapoel Tel Aviv today in Israel, according to Eurohoops. Beverley, 36, was in the starting lineup and contributed three points, six assists and his typical intense defense in a preseason win over Elitzur Ironi Netanya.
Former NBA players Shabazz Muhammad and Thomas Robinson have signed with Homenetmen Beirut, per Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Muhammad, who joined the Kings’ G League affiliate in January, last played in the NBA during the 2017/18 season. Robinson, a lottery pick in 2012, has been out of the league for seven years.

Olympic Notes: Second Unit, Durant, Edwards, George, Serbia, James, 3×3 Team

August 1st, 2024 at 10:57am CST by Dana Gauruder

Team USA discovered a stellar second unit that accounted for 60 of the reserves’ 66 points in its 103-86 win over South Sudan on Wednesday. Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Bam Adebayo comprised that group. The offensive output was matched by that unit’s defensive versatility, Sam Amick of The Athletic notes.

“That lineup was incredible,” Durant said. “You know, when you can switch a lot of different things, and keep the ball in front of you, don’t worry about over helping at all. We’re just (out there) talking to each other. There were some high-IQ defensive players out there. When you can throw that lineup out there, it’s fun. That’s when you don’t have to run offense when you can get stops and go and play in transition. And that’s basketball to me.”

Edwards is enjoying the experience of pairing up with Durant off the bench in the Olympics.

“I love that he’s coming off the bench. I get to play with him, so I hope coach keeps bringing him off the bench,” he said with a smile. “I get to pass it to him. He gets to pass it back. That’s probably one of my biggest dreams ever, so that’s dope. …We’ve got a great group of 12 guys. So it doesn’t matter who’s playing. It doesn’t matter who’s starting. It doesn’t matter who’s finishing the game.”

We have more on the Paris Olympics:

Paul George said on Carmelo Anthony’s podcast (video link) that he believed he’d been chosen to play for Team USA after a conversation with coach Steve Kerr. Team USA managing director Grant Hill informed him during the NBA playoffs he wouldn’t be on the 12-man roster. “I was looking forward to representing the USA and being part of the team,” George said.
Serbia bounced back from its opening loss to Team USA with a 107-66 romp past Puerto Rico. Now the Serbians face a pivotal game against South Sudan on Saturday in their final group play matchup. “Great opponent,” Bogdan Bogdanovic said of South Sudan, per Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press. “They started the tournament well. They played with great confidence. It’s going to be a tough game. We need to come out with the same energy we had (Wednesday) and to fight.”
LeBron James surpassed the 300-point mark in the Olympics on Wednesday, joining Durant and Anthony as the only Team USA members to reach that career mark. It wasn’t a big deal for James, Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net relays. “Oh, not much,” James said of the milestone. “I mean, at the end of the day, I just want to, you know, win. I mean, I’m here to win and win the gold, and that’s my only mindset.”
The U.S. men’s 3×3 basketball team dropped to 0-2 in pool play with a 19-17 loss to Poland on Wednesday. Canyon Barry, son of Hall of Famer Rick Barry, had six points for the Americans. “We’re just not making shots,” Barry said, per The Associated Press. “That’s what it comes down to. We had a lot of good looks and they just didn’t fall tonight.”

Sixers Notes: Jackson, Free Agent Options, Morey, George

July 31st, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Reggie Jackson officially signed a one-year contract with the Sixers on Tuesday. The veteran point guard passed through waivers after Denver traded him to Charlotte and the Hornets bought out his contract. Jackson is thrilled to join another contender and reunite with former Pistons teammate Andre Drummond and Clippers teammate Paul George.

“It’s definitely great to play with Andre again and PG. But I think everybody knows in the basketball world, I think the deck looks pretty full,” he said, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “So that was a big part of my choice and just an opportunity to try and do something special.”

We have more on the Sixers:

The team has 13 players on standard contracts and plans to carry 14 on opening night. That leaves one spot open and the Inquirer’s Gina Mizell looks at five free agent forwards who might fill that opening, including Marcus Morris, Jae Crowder, Cedi Osman, Gordon Hayward and Lonnie Walker IV.
President of basketball operations Daryl Morey said that prior to free agency his staff listened intently to Paul George’s Podcast P for clues as to where he might be leaning. Morey disclosed on the ‘Rights To Ricky Sanchez: The Sixers Podcast’ (YouTube link). Morey believed the Clippers would drop their hard line and give George a four-year, maximum-salary contract but that never happened, which he found somewhat surprising. The Clippers eventually offered George a three-year max deal but wouldn’t include a no-trade clause, leading George to look elsewhere.
Morey told The Ringer’s Howard Beck that there numerous contingency plans if George chose to stay in Los Angeles but he wasn’t particularly thrilled with any of them. “We thought that the best path was a Paul George–type path,” Morey said. “The other paths we thought were OK, they just weren’t as good. … We also felt like in the scenarios where we don’t convince Paul that this is the right team, we felt like we had a plan that was [workable]. We probably spent 85 percent of our time on the alternate plan, because that was way more complex.”

Sixers Notes: George, Maxey, Embiid, McCain

July 23rd, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters at his introductory press conference on Tuesday, new Sixers forward Paul George expressed gratitude to the Clippers for the “amazing” time he spent with his hometown team and said he had “no ill will” toward the franchise over how his five-year run ended, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. George believes “everything just aligned perfectly” for him to make the move to Philadelphia this summer.

“Where they’re at and where they’re trying to go and where I’m trying to get to, as well. I think we got a real legitimate shot,” George said of the Sixers’ ability to contend in the East. “I’ve always been a fan of Tyrese (Maxey) and Joel (Embiid) from afar, and Joel has secretly been one of my closest All-Star Game friends. And so, it kind of felt inevitable that at some point we would link up and be teammates. So, I’m all-in. My family’s here all-in, and I’m excited, and looking forward to this next opportunity.”

Acknowledging that injuries to himself and his teammates were a factor in the Clippers ultimately not making the sort of deep playoff runs they’d hoped for, George expressed optimism that sharing the workload with Maxey and Embiid in Philadelphia will help all three stars stay healthier.

“I think just taking the pressure off Joel,” George said. “I think I can kind of help him get through a season healthy. And again, it’s just not putting so much pressure on him. Regardless of how good you feel, I think pressure causes a lot of injuries as well, and you think you have to get overplayed, you have to touch every possession, that kind of just wears you down, especially for how physical he is. So that’s the key. Everybody do their part, make sure we’re working on our bodies, and that we don’t just put that pressure on one individual to go out and win games for us.”

Here’s more out of Philadelphia:

The Sixers also held a press conference on Tuesday in honor of Maxey’s new five-year, maximum-salary deal. The guard could have pushed to receive that contract a year ago but was willing to wait until this summer to allow Philadelphia to maximize its cap room, earning praise from president of basketball operations Daryl Morey for his patience. “This offseason wouldn’t be possible without him,” Morey said, per Jeff Neiburg of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “He was very clearly on his way to being what he has become, an All-Star, one of the great future stars of this league, and by being patient he allowed us to put this offseason together, to really put us in this position to be one of the very few legitimate contenders in the league this year.”
Speaking to David Marchese of The New York Times on an episode of The Interview podcast, Embiid suggested he believes he could be in the conversation for the NBA’s greatest player of all time if not for the injuries that have cost him so many games over the years. “I think I’m that talented. Obviously you need to win championships, and to win championships you need other guys,” Embiid said. “… If you think about it, the thing that stopped me all these years is just freak injuries. Every single playoffs, regular season, people falling on my knee or breaking my face — twice. It’s always freak injuries at the wrong time.”
It was a tough Summer League experience for first-round pick Jared McCain in both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, as he made just 28.6% of his shots from the field in his eight games for the Sixers, including 25.5% of his three-point tries. As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays, McCain is determined to view the summer as a learning experience and not to let his July struggles shake his confidence. “One of my favorite quotes is, ‘Whatever you’re going through, you are growing through,'” McCain said. “So whatever I’m doing in life, it’s always a learning lesson from it.”

Clippers’ Steve Ballmer Talks Losing Paul George, New-Look Roster

July 20th, 2024 at 9:49am CST by Tristan Tucker

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer wasn’t thrilled to lose Paul George to the Sixers this offseason, but he was emphatic in his belief in the retooled roster when speaking to reporters on Friday, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes.

“I love Paul,” Ballmer said. “Let’s start with Paul as a human being. Paul is a great human being, and I’ve really enjoyed my opportunity to get to know Paul’s family. So on a personal level, I hated it. I hated it.

“From a basketball perspective, Paul is a fantastic player, future Hall of Famer. But we knew we needed to continue to get better. And with the new CBA, what tools, what flexibility [can be restricted], we made Paul what I consider a great offer. But it was a great offer in terms of us thinking about how to win championships. It wasn’t what Paul wanted.”

George’s interest in a deal that matched or exceeded the three-year, $150MM deal Kawhi Leonard received has been well-covered. The Clippers declined to include a fourth year in any contract offer for George and opted not to give him the no-trade clause he sought on a three-year deal. George wound up accepting a four-year maximum-salary contract with Philadelphia.

After losing George, the Clippers turned their attention to replenishing their depth. The team re-signed James Harden before adding role players like Nicolas Batum, Derrick Jones Jr., and Kris Dunn, among others.

“I think we’re going to be a very, very good team,” Ballmer said. “We’re going to contend. We’ll see how far it takes us. There’s a lot of good teams in the West, let alone you’ve got the Celtics, etc. in the East. But there’s a lot of good teams. I think we are one of them, and if we stay healthy, if we play well, I think every team’s got to get a little bit of luck.

“Our two guys at the top are pretty good, and I’ll take our guys that we flank around them. Just take a look at Dallas. They rode the backs of two great players and a bunch of other very, very good players, and we certainly have that.”

Ballmer believes that sooner or later every team will be faced with a decision like the one the Clippers had to make in their negotiations with George.

“Guys like me who’ve been very willing to pay the luxury tax — it’s not about the luxury tax anymore,” Ballmer said. “It’s about the penalties in terms of how you get better. I’m not willing to sacrifice getting better. Still willing to pay the money. But it’s more than money now.“

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Council, Hauser, Shead

July 15th, 2024 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers have enjoyed a banner offseason with their ample cap space, signing top priority Paul George, as well as Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon. They also gave Tyrese Maxey a max rookie scale extension and re-signed Kelly Oubre and Kyle Lowry. Nick Nurse can’t wait to put all the pieces together.

“We certainly had a great summer,” the Sixers’ head coach said, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “There’s just no other way of looking at it in that there’s a lot of guys that we targeted that were at the very top of our list, and a lot of categories that we needed to fill, and we got a lot of them.”

Nurse is especially excited by the prospect of George complementing the skills of the other Sixers stars, Maxey and Joel Embiid. “We had the one, five [positions] solidified. We needed something in the middle. That’s PG,” he said. “We are going to have to wait and see. I’m sure it’s going to take some time, you know, for total connection and chemistry, but obviously they all can score at all levels. So it should be a great fit.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Ricky Council has emerged as a go-to scorer during Summer League action and could jump into the Sixers’ rotation next season, Pompey writes in a separate story. Council was signed to a four-year contract in April. “If you can play basketball, someone will find you at some time,” assistant coach Mike Brase said. “It might be when you are young in the process and being recruited or when you get older. And in Ricky’s case, he went to Wichita State and Arkansas and [goes] undrafted [last summer] and makes the most of it.”
The Celtics exercised their $2.1MM club option on Sam Hauser‘s contract but Hauser could be a cap casualty next offseason, Brian Robb of MassLive.com speculates. Hauser’s next contract will be significantly larger, so the Celtics’ efforts to re-sign him next summer could hinge on whether they move a big salary.
Second-round pick Jamal Shead exemplifies the Raptors‘ commitment to getting better defensively, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Shead has displayed his defensive tenacity during Summer League play. “As you can see in the draft class as well, we’re trying to find as many possible two-way guys that can be — we call them the most important guy,” coach Darko Rajakovic said. “(The) most important guy is the guy who’s got who’s guarding the ball. He makes it easier for everybody else.”

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