Report: Eastern Conference team looms as 'eager suitor' to sign Paul George

In the wake of Joel Embiid's injury, the Philadelphia 76ers are no longer viewed as legitimate title threats ahead of the upcoming playoffs. However, all that could change next season if Sixers boss Daryl Morey's grand plan comes to fruition. 

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Sixers will aggressively pursue Paul George in the offseason, with plans to lure the All-Star forward away from the Clippers.

"League sources say that Philadelphia continues to loom as an eager George suitor should he make it onto the open market and give the 76ers their formal opportunity to try to lure him across the country," Stein wrote in his Substack newsletter. "The Sixers are said to maintain interest in George despite the widely held presumption that he and [Kawhi] Leonard want to keep playing together in their native Southern California."

George would hit the open market by declining his player option worth $48.7 million for the 2024-25 season. The 33-year-old is widely expected to go that route as he's primed to secure his last long-term contract in the waning years of his career. 

As for the Sixers, George is just one of the big names they could target with their projected $50 million-plus in cap space this offseason. Entering the summer, Joel Embiid's $51.4 million figure would be the only guaranteed salary on their payroll, with the contracts of Buddy Hield, Tobias Harris, Nicolas Batum, De'Anthony Melton and other veteran role players all coming off the books.

The 76ers are also positioned to re-sign Tyrese Maxey, a restricted free agent, to a new contract and maintain the flexibility to create over $50 million in cap space.  

If Morey's plan comes to fruition, the Sixers could field a new Big 3 of Embiid, Maxey and another All-Star caliber player next season. The question is, would George leave his native Los Angeles for Philadelphia? If George stays put, the Sixers could pursue other impending free agents such as Klay Thompson, Pascal Siakam, Jrue Holiday or DeMar DeRozan.