General manager Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers are currently in the process of trying to lure in a high profile free agent or two this offseason after another early postseason exit this spring, this time to the New York Knicks in six games. Morey has tried to put a competent roster around MVP candidate Joel Embiid since arriving with the organization a few years ago but the 76ers still have yet to make it out of the second round of the playoffs during Embiid's tenure, putting the pressure on during this offseason as the big man is on the wrong side of 30 and with a storied injury history.
One potential free agent that the 76ers have been linked to for a while now is Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George, who can decline his team option and hit the open market this summer if he so chooses.
Recently, George took to his own Podcast P with Paul George, presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment, to break down his approach to free agency and how he sometimes listens to other players' experiences before making his decision.
“Believe it or not, players talk. And then reputations go around, like, ‘Hey man, I don’t know about going to this place, because they … [shoot]. Watch your back, you know what I mean?’ That’s the conversations you have,” said George.
NBA insider Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer wondered whether George may have been referencing Morey himself, who publicly feuded with George's current Clippers teammate James Harden at the end of their tenure, something that Harden may have spoken to George about in private.
“James Harden considers Daryl Morey ‘a liar’ and Paul George a teammate. Will that complicate Sixers’ free agency?” wondered Pompey on X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter.
Where will Paul George go?
During his podcast episode, George also broke down what his main priorities are this summer as it pertains to where he might opt to play next.
“I mean at this point, it’s not even about like people saying ‘chasing a championship’. Like it’s not that. But it’s playing the right style of basketball is what I’m chasing,” said George.
That may not be music to the fans of 76ers fans necessarily, especially when paired with the fact that he may have subtly referenced a distrust of Daryl Morey that could potentially derail any partnership between the two sides.
In theory, George and the 76ers would appear to be a perfect match for one another. Wing depth was something that the 76ers were sorely missing during this season, as Tobias Harris gave them virtually nothing in the playoff loss vs the Knicks. If they had gotten even 15 points per game and solid defense, both of which George is more than capable of even at the age of 34, they probably would have defeated the Knicks in five. Instead, they have another offseason filled with more questions than answers.
In any case, NBA free agency is set to get started shortly after the draft concludes next week.
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