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NBA Betting News: Paul George Deciding Between Clippers, Magic and 76ers.

This is the biggest week of the off season in the NBA because the free agency negotiating window opened at 6 p.m. ET Sunday, when each NBA team could start to negotiate with players on the market and even reach a deal – although no deals can be made official until July 6 at 12:01 p.m. ET, but there will be plenty of transactional action until then and beyond.

Expert Prediction: George signs with Philadelphia

LA Clippers

One Los Angeles star, the Lakers’ LeBron James, opted out of his contract but is going to re-sign. That may not be the case for the Clippers’ Paul George, however.

George is from Los Angeles and has been with the Clippers since their blockbuster acquisition of both him and Kawhi Leonard in the summer of 2019.

That duo has failed to reach the NBA Finals in five seasons together, due largely to injuries both have suffered in or before the postseason.

After the Clippers and Leonard agreed to a three-year, $153-million extension in January, George was optimistic that he would have his own extension soon, as well.

George was eligible for an extension of up to four years and $221 million. But he and the team couldn’t agree, and George declined his $48.7 million player option.

Paul George Stats

The nine-time All-Star averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists last season. He shot career highs of 47.1% from the field, 41.3% from 3-point range and 90.7% from the free throw line.

George also made 45% on catch-and-shoot 3’s, fourth best among 117 players to attempt 200-plus of those shots, according to Second Spectrum.

What the Clippers said

Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters the team wants to retain George, but there are financial ramifications of the new collective bargaining agreement it has to consider.

As currently constituted, the Clippers are approximately $54.1 million under the first tax apron and $65 million under the second apron. Re-signing George would put them close to the first apron, without even factoring in the potential of James Harden returning.

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Warriors Interest

Golden State reportedly tried hard to trade for George before he opted out – now the Clippers can’t sign him to a new deal and trade PG13.

Golden State reportedly offered some combo of Chris Paul, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and a future first-round pick in some combination.

The Warriors also committed to giving George a four-year maximum-salary contract (a three-year extension on top of his option year) if the deal had gone through and both Steph Curry and Draymond Green signed off on the deal.

The Golden State Warriors are expected to lose All-Star guard Klay Thompson in free agency.

Favorites to Sign

George will meet with the Clippers, Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers – who probably are the favorites to sign George because Philly is close to title contention (+1200 to win it all next season) with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey already on the roster.

The Sixers have had their eyes on other impact players in case they don’t get George. But the second-, third- and fourth-best options are all off the board.

If George lands in Orlando or elsewhere, the Sixers would have to gamble on their fifth, sixth, and seventh options. Perhaps they would think about trying to trade for New Orleans forward Brandon Ingram.

Orlando Magic

Meanwhile, few players would fit what Orlando needs to improve next season if it is going to become a contender in the Eastern Conference better than George after he shot a career-best 41.3 percent on his 3-point attempts.

Orlando’s offensive woes ultimately kept it from advancing beyond the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Magic were tied for 23rd in 3-point percentage, 24th in points per game, and tied for last in 3-pointers made per game.

On a recent episode of his podcast, Podcast P with Paul George, the NBA superstar spoke highly of Jamahl Mosley’s squad, which won 47 games and finished fifth in the East, and specifically mentioned the growth of first-time All-Star Paolo Banchero.

There’s also no state income tax in Florida. Both Orlando and Philadelphia have the salary-cap room to sign George outright, but can’t quite offer as much as the Clippers can.

The Magic recently declined club options for both reserves Joe Ingles ($11 million) and Moe Wagner ($8 million) to create upwards of $52 million in cap room.

The franchise also did not submit a qualifying offer to 2019 first-round pick Chuma Okeke, who will become an unrestricted free agent. L.A. reportedly is only offering a three-year deal, and George wants four.

2025 NBA Winner Odds for Top 5 Teams

Boston Celtics +300
Denver Nuggets +800
Philadelphia 76ers +830
Oklahoma City Thunder +880
New York Knicks +910

BREAKING: Free agent F Paul George has agreed on a four-year, $212 million maximum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. George committed in a meeting with Sixers officials and returns East to join Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in pursuit of an NBA title. pic.twitter.com/pkCfGu3hyp
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2024