When the Los Angeles Clippers traded control of several of their first-round picks to the Philadelphia 76ers for James Harden, they didn't just signal an intent to keep the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George core together for the foreseeable future. They more or less committed to doing so. With no other assets to rebuild with, they were all in. Paying up for this group was their only path to contention this decade.
The Clippers quickly held up their end of the bargain on Leonard, inking him to a three-year extension worth around $150 million in January. They cannot legally extend Harden quite yet, but the expectation is that he will receive a new deal as a free agent this offseason. But with less than a month left in the regular season, one of the three stars that represent the Clippers' contention hopes remains unsigned. George, to date, has not agreed to an extension with the Clippers, and now, according to Marc Stein, those same 76ers that sent Harden to Los Angeles are now awaiting the chance to lure him to Philadelphia as a free agent.
Stein notes that the expectation for now is that George would prefer to remain in Los Angeles. However, the two sides have not yet found an acceptable middle ground in negotiations. That suits Philadelphia just fine, as they don't need to compromise. The 76ers will have the cap space to offer George his full max as a free agent over the summer.
The fit is straightforward. Philadelphia has an All-Star point guard in Tyrese Maxey and an MVP center in Joel Embiid. They have arranged their cap sheet in a way that will allow them to wipe away every existing player on their roster except for Embiid and Maxey this offseason if they'd like, not only giving them the space to sign George, but to perhaps retain some of their own depth or find it through trades an external free agents as well. Should they remain healthy, a Philadelphia team built around Maxey, George and Embiid would almost certainly contend for a championship.
Of course, health has never been a certainty where George is concerned. He played only 189 games in his first four seasons as a Clipper, though he has missed just six this season. That might explain why the Clippers have hesitated to give him whatever contract he is asking for now, especially given the injury concerns Leonard also presents, as well as possible age-related decline from any of their three stars. The Clippers, already the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, are also in danger of slipping to No. 5 and falling behind the New Orleans Pelicans. Perhaps they want to see how this postseason goes before they commit to several more years of this roster.
From a roster-building perspective, though, they don't have much choice. If George walks in free agency, the Clippers would not have the cap space to replace him. Even if they did, there isn't another George-level free agent available unless LeBron James considers leaving the Lakers. Neither George nor the 76ers have much motivation to cooperate on a sign-and-trade since Philadelphia has the cap space to sign him outright. The Clippers don't have the draft capital to trade for another star.
From a negotiating standpoint, George has the Clippers over a barrel. If they want to continue contending beyond this season, they almost have to give him the contract that he asks for. That they haven't only currently stands to serve Philadelphia. The Clippers should remain the favorites to retain George's services for now, but the longer they wait to extend him, the more realistic a threat the 76ers become.
