On July 1, Beijing time, the NBA free agent market was officially opened, and for a while, the trading market was like a battlefield, and sparks were flying. Many teams have managed to improve their own strength through operation, and some big-name stars have signed contracts. Among them, the 76ers, with their strong salary space, undoubtedly became the biggest winners on the first day of free agency.
When free agency market opened, the 76ers had the NBA's highest salary space of $58.4 million. At the start of the day, only three players in the 76ers, Embiid, Ricky Conseil IV and Paul Reid, held official contracts.
While Maxey has agreed to a five-year, $205 million contract extension with the 76ers, the 76ers plan to make the deal official after making the most of all the salary space, according to veteran NBA reporter Mark Stein.
On the first day of free agency, the 76ers made four signings, including nine-time All-Star Paul George. According to ESPN's Woj, George will be offered a four-year, $212 million max contract. Woj also revealed that George will have a player option for the 2027-28 season.
Woj further revealed that the 76ers completed the deal with George and his agent in the early hours of Monday morning US time.
It is reported that George and his agent Aaron Mintz met with 76ers executives in Los Angeles, including team owner Josh Harris, basketball operations president Daryl Morey, general manager Elton Brand, and 76ers legend Julius Irving. It is worth mentioning that the 76ers also specially invited former Pacers executive Peter Dinwiddie, who has a deep friendship with George.
Last season, George had his best year in recent years, finally coming out of injury troubles and playing a full 70 games for the first time since 2018-19. In the 74 games the Clippers played, George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game, shooting a career-high 47.1 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from three-point range.
Now, the Big Three of George, Embiid and Maxey will undoubtedly become one of the NBA's most dynamic giants in recent years. The Philadelphia 76ers are now expected to join the New York Knicks in challenging the Celtics' crown.
Other Contracts
While George's arrival was undoubtedly the highlight of the 76ers' first day of free agency, several other signings from the team are also worth keeping an eye on.
The 76ers also managed to sign Kelly Oubre II, Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon on their first day, each of which brought new energy to the team.
Kelly Oubre II
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Oubre has agreed to a two-year, $16.3 million contract with a player option for the 2025-26 season.
The 28-year-old wing player averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the field, 31.1 percent from three-point range and 75 percent from the free-throw line.
Oubre played in 68 games last season, including 51 double-doubles, 17 over 20 points, two over 30 points, and a double-double in four games, and his performance certainly added firepower to the 76ers.
Andre Drummond
Drummond returned to Philadelphia on a two-year, $10 million contract, and the 2012 No. 9 pick played for the 76ers during the 2021-22 season.
In 79 games for the Chicago Bulls last season, Drummond had 18 double-doubles, averaging 8.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
Drummond's return provides a double guarantee for the 76ers' interior line, not only can he step up when Embiid is injured, but he can also play with Embiid, adding more possibilities to the team's interior offense and defense.
Eric Gordon
Gordon signed a one-year, $3.3 million base salary contract with the 76ers. The 35-year-old brings valuable experience to the 76ers, and his arrival certainly adds a credible firepower to the team's perimeter.
One of the top three-point shooters in NBA history, Gordon averaged 11.0 points and 2.3 three-pointers per game in Phoenix last season, and his accurate long-range shooting will bring a new dimension to the 76ers' offensive playbook.
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