What Paul George’s acquisition could mean for Magic, Sixers Rookies

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday, Clippers star Paul George has officially declined his nearly $50 million transfer option for the upcoming season and will instead meet with three teams that can pay him the amount he wants: Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Orlando .

This is a real bomb because George can cause a domino effect on the free agent market by deciding to sign with a different team.

Like all NBA teams, the 76ers and Magic could benefit from George’s talent as a big perimeter wing, so much so that each tried their hand at developing George’s skills during the 2024 NBA Draft.

The Magic leaned much more that way by grabbing 6-foot-8 Tristan da Silva from Colorado, who has a do-it-all style similar to George. For the Buffs, he averaged 16.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, shooting 49% overall and 40% from three.

If the Magic do sign George, the theoretical amount of minutes da Silva could see on the court could decrease since the team’s two best players are already at the forward positions.

The Sixers went a different route, selecting Duke’s Jared McCain, a small but highly effective guard who shot 41% of his three-pointers and made nearly six shots per game.

For now, McCain will likely play as a combo point guard off the bench in place of point guard Tyrese Maxey, who is similarly short. The addition of George likely wouldn’t change McCain’s role much, as the two could play together on the perimeter.

The NBA will now sit on its hands and wait for George’s decision, which will surely shake things up during the offseason.

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