CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) 鈥� Tyrese Maxey was asked to wait. Be patient, and the millions will come.
Maybe an NBA championship, too.
Maxey had some doubts a year ago when the Philadelphia 76ers asked their guard 鈥� who was not yet an All-Star, who had not yet in a game three times 鈥� to hold off on signing a contract extension until this summer.
The 76ers鈥� reasoning was solid: Maxey would open the offseason with a salary cap hold of $13 million dollars, a low figure by NBA standards which allowed the Sixers to enter free agency with roughly $65 million to splurge on building out the roster, notably adding a potential superstar to join him and 2023 NBA MVP and .
Enter, Paul George.
With money to burn, the 76ers enticed George to leave the Los Angeles Clippers and sign a four-year, $212 million contract. The 76ers and team president Daryl Morey didn鈥檛 forget about Maxey, either. The NBA鈥檚 , Maxey was rewarded for his wait with a five-year, $204 million extension. The 76ers committed to two players they believe position them as the top contender to dethrone the NBA champion Boston Celtics.
The 76ers gave Maxey his due for the biggest assist of his career.
鈥淏y being patient, he allowed us to put this offseason together, to really put us in position to be one of the very few legitimate contenders in the league this year,鈥� Morey said.
The 76ers have believed they were legitimate contenders for years, only for a flurry of second-fiddles to pass through town without much to show beyond postseason busts for their time here. Philly fans can reel off the list of lemons with ease, from Ben Simmons to Tobias Harris; from Jimmy Butler to Al Horford; from Markelle Fultz to James Harden.
The 34-year-old George and Maxey both held their first formal press conferences on Tuesday at the 76ers鈥� New Jersey complex, complete with ownership, the front office and even the All-Star duo, insisting this time 鈥� for real now! 鈥� this season could be as good as it gets in Philly.
鈥淚 think we are set up,鈥� team owner Josh Harris said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard not to be excited about this team. I鈥檝e been here for the last 10 years, 12 years, and this is among, if not the best team, we鈥檝e had since I鈥檝e been here.鈥�
Maxey took a leap of faith the money would still be there for him a year later and the 21st overall pick in the 2020 draft has found a home in Philadelphia.
鈥淚 understood what the end goal was,鈥� Maxey said. 鈥淪ometimes you have to realize that.鈥�
George, who has averaged 20.8 points over a 14-year career, wanted to move on from the Clippers and declined a player option in his contract for $48.8 million in 2024-25 that ended a five-year stretch with the team in which he averaged at least 21.5 points each season.
George said 鈥淧hilly was No. 1鈥� for his top choice in free agency because the 76ers 鈥渒ind of fit my game and fit where I was at in my career.鈥�
Perhaps.
The 76ers, though, rose to the top spot more because they offered about $60 million more than the Clippers' offer, one George called 鈥渄isrespectful.鈥�
George said earlier this month on his podcast that he 鈥渘ever wanted to leave LA鈥� and would have signed with the Clippers had they offered the three-year, $150-million extension they gave Kawhi Leonard. George also wanted a no-trade clause. George said the Clippers wouldn鈥檛 give him a four-year, $212-million contract, or any deal without the promise of a no-trade clause.
He said Tuesday there was no 鈥渋ll will鈥� toward the Clippers. He thanked the organization for allowing him to play in his home city and for a 鈥渓egitimate shot to chase a championship every season.鈥�
George essentially traded a Big Three with Leonard and Harden in Los Angeles for a chance to join Maxey and Embiid and form a formidable trio in Philly.
鈥淛oel has secretly been one of my closest All-Star Game friends,鈥� George said. 鈥淚t kind of felt inevitable that at some point, we would link up and be teammates.鈥�
George was wooed at his California home by a contingent that included Harris, Morey, coach Nick Nurse and even 76ers legend and Hall of Famer Julius Erving. Weather delays forced a late arrival at George鈥檚 home.
鈥淭he good Doctor cracked open a vodka,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淚t was a long journey.鈥�
One the 76ers hope ends with a championship.
It鈥檚 been a rough road toward one for a franchise that hasn鈥檛 advanced out of the second round of the playoffs since 2001 and hasn鈥檛 won it all since Erving led them to the NBA title in 1983.
Even George -- who has yet to win a title in previous stops with Indiana, Oklahoma City and the Clippers -- knew what the immediate goal was in Philly.
鈥淥bviously, winning,鈥� George said, before a beat, 鈥渁nd to get past the second round.鈥�
Embiid, George and Maxey will have some help. Morey used the available cap room and roster space to bring back Kyle Lowry and Kelly Oubre Jr, and bring aboard Andre Drummond, , KJ Martin, and 2024 draft picks Jared McCain and Adem Bona.
鈥淢ost of my ideas are going in in pencil,鈥� Nurse said. 鈥淚've got some thoughts on things. But I really do think we'll experiment and try a bunch of different things.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Dan Gelston, The Associated Press
