Paul George Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Paul George Suffers Hyperextended Left Knee

October 14th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Paul George left the Sixers’ preseason game against Atlanta on Monday with a hyperextended left knee, according to the team.

George, the biggest free agent acquisition of the offseason, suffered the non-contact injury during the first half. The injury puts George’s availability for the start of the regular season in jeopardy. Philadelphia opens at home against Minnesota on Oct. 23 and has three more regular season games before the end of the month.

George was signed away from the Clippers on a four-year, maximum-salary contract as Philadelphia’s top target. George appeared in 74 regular season games last season, the most he played since the 2018/19 season with Oklahoma City. He averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest. He also played in all six postseason games against Dallas.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse sounded somewhat optimistic about George’s injury after the game, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.

“Certainly trying to work him into things, and he wants to work into things, too. So this doesn’t give him a chance to do that,” Nurse said about George getting acclimated with his new teammates. “Hopefully, it’ll be OK so he’s back with us right away.”

George told Mizell he was “not too concerned” about his knee (Twitter link).

Sixers superstar Joel Embiid has already been ruled out for the rest of the preseason due to left knee management.

Sixers Notes: Reserves, Embiid, George, Drummond, Maxey

October 14th, 2024 at 10:47am CST by Luke Adams

With the Sixers resting several veterans Saturday on the second night of a back-to-back set, the team’s youngsters and reserves were on the wrong end of a 50-point shellacking at the hands of the defending champion Celtics. As Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, many of the players who logged big minutes on Saturday are unlikely to play major roles during the season, but they’ll likely be needed at times, so the lopsided loss to Boston was an important learning experience.

“Teaching them how hard they have to play is something you have to do,” head coach Nick Nurse said after the game. “They’re young, and we’ve got to show them what it’s like. But it gives them some good experience out there against some really good players.”

There were some positives to take away from the blowout, including 20 points from rookie Jared McCain, another solid outing from big man Guerschon Yabusele, and promising on-ball defense from two-way player Justin Edwards, Mizell notes. But Nurse acknowledged that his team frequently got caught ball-watching and didn’t match the Celtics’ speed or intensity.

“It (stinks), obviously, (that) I’m on the opposing side of it,” McCain said of the 50-point loss. “But it’s great for me to learn from.”

Here’s more on the 76ers:

How should Sixers fans react to the news that Joel Embiid‘s preseason is over? Tony Jones of The Athletic explores that topic, suggesting that it looks like a case of the team just being cautious, but could lead to some additional growing pains for the new-look roster early in the regular season due to minimal preseason reps with the superstar center on the floor. It’s also likely a preview of the careful way in which the 76ers will handle Embiid’s playing time during the regular season, Jones adds.
Both Embiid and newcomer Paul George are unlikely to play both ends of “many back-to-backs, if any” this season, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
The Sixers had tried multiple times to reacquire Andre Drummond after having to give him up in the James Harden trade with Brooklyn in 2022, Bontemps reports within the same ESPN story. Embiid, aware that he’d need a high-quality backup center in order for Philadelphia to properly manage his minutes, was part of the recruiting effort when Drummond reached free agency over the summer. “Getting a phone call from the best center in the NBA saying, ‘I need you here’ … it’s hard to tell him no,” Drummond told Bontemps. “I spoke to a lot of teams this summer, and he was probably the third or fourth person to call me. I wasn’t even expecting to hear from him. … He just gave me an idea of what he was looking for and he needed me to come back to really help him out to win something bigger than him.”
While he may not have been thrilled on draft night in 2020 to fall to 21st overall, Tyrese Maxey realizes in retrospect that it was the best thing that could have happened to him, based on the situation he ended up in and how his career has progressed since then, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “As a young kid, 19 years old, you are looking at the draft. You are like, ‘Man, I want to go as high as I possibly can,'” Maxey said. “But then when you fall to a contending team and you are able to be on a team and soak up all the knowledge that they give you, man, you are blessed.”

Atlantic Notes: George, McCain, Shead, VanVleet, Horford

October 12th, 2024 at 9:24am CST by Rory Maher

Nine-time All-Star Paul George was the most accomplished player to switch teams in free agency over the summer, inking a four-year, $212MM contract with the Sixers. He made his preseason debut with Philadelphia on Friday night vs. Minnesota, recording 23 points (on 8-of-15 shooting), six rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes, per The Associated Press.

With the obvious caveat that it was only a preseason game, it was still an encouraging sign of what the 76ers could look like if their “big three” of Joel Embiid, George and Tyrese Maxey are healthy, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic.

“He’s pretty good at basketball,” Maxey said of George. “I can see the vision. I really do. My goal coming into tonight is to see how comfortable he can get and to try and make him as comfortable as possible. It’s amazing to see what things he can do on the floor. I wanted to try and sit back and watch and see how he fits in and see how I can help him fit in. It was good to see him on the floor.”

President of basketball operations Daryl Morey admits the Sixers’ pursuit of George was “risky,” but he believes Philadelphia is now firmly on the short list of title contenders, he tells Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.

“I feel like we’re one of the top few teams,” Morey said. “I think Boston’s pretty clearly the team that deserves to be called the favorite. They played great last year. They played really historically well, but I think we have a shot to get right in there, in the mix with them, and beat them this year.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

Rookie guard Jared McCain, the 16th pick of the 2024 draft, says he’s focused on improving defensively during the Sixers‘ preseason slate, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays. “I’m really not trying to set expectations for myself,” McCain said. “I feel I played well [in the exhibition opener against the New Zealand Breakers], [but I] definitely have things to work on defensively. But what I’ve always tried to do, especially in college, is focus on my defense, focus on playing hard, and my offense will come.”
Second-round pick Jamal Shead has quickly endeared himself to the Raptors with his defense, hustle, and willingness to accept his role, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Former Raptor Fred VanVleet, another small guard, sees similarities between his game and Shead’s, and the rookie says he’s hoping to emulate VanVleet’s NBA success. “He’s somebody that you look at as a role model,” Shead said of VanVleet. “Being in [college at] Houston, I got to see him [last season], just going up to [the Rockets] facility, watching him workout, watching him play. He’s somebody that’s my size, does what I do and shoots the ball a lot better than me. So, he’s just a role model and somebody that I can look at and try to be like in this league. Toronto’s known for doing smaller guards justice, so he set the pathway for me and I’m just trying to figure out how I can do what he did.”
Celtics big man Al Horford sat out Boston’s preseason games vs. Denver in Abu Dhabi, but he’ll make his 2024/25 debut this weekend, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com. The Celtics have back-to-back home games this weekend vs. Philadelphia and Toronto. “Just ramping him up,” Mazzulla said of Horford. “We’re still talking about that. He’ll definitely play in one of them, maybe two, just kind of ramping him up and making sure he stays sharp. That’s all.” The 38-year-old veteran will make $9.5MM this season in the final year of his contract.

NBA GMs High On Thunder’s Offseason Moves, Celtics’ Title Chances

October 8th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder made the best roster moves during the 2024 offseason, according to the NBA’s general managers. Within his annual survey of the league’s top basketball decision-makers, John Schuhmann of NBA.com writes that 37% of his respondents picked Oklahoma City as having the best summer, with the Sixers coming in second place at 33%. The Knicks got 20% of the vote share, while no other club received more than a single vote.

It was one of many favorable outcomes in the survey for the Thunder, who were overwhelmingly selected as the team with the best young core — 60% of GMs selected OKC, compared to 20% for the second-place Magic.

New Thunder guard Alex Caruso was chosen by general managers as the most underrated offseason acquisition, receiving 23% of that vote share, while last year’s Most Valuable Player runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was picked as this year’s MVP favorite (40%), narrowly edging Mavericks star Luka Doncic (30%).

The Thunder also received a handful of votes from the league’s GMs as the team that will win the 2025 NBA Finals, but at 13%, they finished a distant second to the Celtics, who earned a whopping 83% of the vote. Besides those two clubs, only the Mavericks (3%) received a vote to become this season’s champions.

Here are a few more interesting results from Schuhmann’s GM survey, which is worth checking out in full:

New Sixers forward Paul George got 60% of the vote as the offseason acquisition who will have the biggest impact in 2024/25, followed by new Knicks Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns at 13% apiece. The Towns trade, meanwhile, was named the most surprising offseason move, eking out George leaving Los Angeles for Philadelphia (27% to 23%).
Unsurprisingly, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was the overwhelming choice (77%) for which player the GMs would most want to start a franchise with. Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic each earned three votes in that category, while Doncic got one.
The league’s general managers are high on No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard — the Rockets‘ guard is their pick to win the Rookie of the Year award (50%) ahead of betting favorite Zach Edey of the Grizzlies (30%). Sheppard also comfortably received the largest vote share (43%) when the GMs were asked which rookie will be the best player in five years. Spurs guard Stephon Castle (17%) and Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (13%) were the runners-up in that category.
There was no consensus among the GMs on which 2024 draftee was the biggest steal. Wizards guard Carlton Carrington, Kings guard Devin Carter, Pacers wing Johnny Furphy, Lakers forward Dalton Knecht, Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon, and Thunder guard Nikola Topic each received three votes to lead the way.
Among newly hired head coaches, Mike Budenholzer of the Suns is the one GMs feel will have the biggest impact on his new club. Budenholzer received 40% of the vote, beating out Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers and J.B. Bickerstaff of the Pistons (20% apiece). Meanwhile, Spurs guard Chris Paul (30%) and Raptors guard Garrett Temple (20%) are the active players that GMs feel would make the best head coaches down the road.
Asked what they’d change about the NBA, 20% of GMs said the rules related to the tax aprons, trades, and roster construction are too restrictive and/or should be “indexed to (a) team’s market,” per Schuhmann, making it the top response.

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.”