Paul George’s contract has become an albatross for the Philadelphia 76ers. President of basketball operations Daryl Morey handed George a four-year, $211.5 million deal to form a “Big 3” alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, but injuries to all three derailed the season as Philadelphia missed the playoffs.
George’s name has surfaced in trade rumors, and if the 76ers want to move on, an NBA insider believes they should deal him to a Western Conference playoff team.
“[T]he 76ers could take a bigger swing by building a trade around Paul George for Michael Porter Jr. This deal would make sense for both sides: The Nuggets have been interested in George before, and he’d give them a higher ceiling around Nikola Jokic, while the 76ers would get younger and gain future financial flexibility with Porter. After how George’s first season in Philadelphia went, the team should pursue a reset if possible,” wrote ESPN’s Zach Kram.
Porter, 27, makes the 76ers younger and more athletic, matching Morey’s stated direction for next season. He averaged 18.2 points, seven rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 50.4% from the field and 39.5% from three. Porter is owed $38.3 million this season and $40.8 million in 2026-27 before hitting free agency.
George missed 41 games in his first Philadelphia season due to injuries and is owed $162 million over his contract’s final three years. When healthy, he averaged just 16.2 points, his lowest full-season total since his second year in the league.
The financial relief would help Philadelphia’s salary cap situation. The 76ers face $209.2 million in cap allocations for 2025-26, nearly $2 million above the second tax apron and its harsh penalties.
Matt Higgins worked in national and local news for 15 years. He started out as an overnight production assistant ... More about Matt Higgins