Report: 76ers To Heavily Pursue Paul George, Could Try To Trade For Jimmy Butler Or Brandon Ingram

According to NBA insider Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the Philadelphia 76ers will heavily pursue Paul George this summer. 

The Sixers could also try to trade for Jimmy Butler or Brandon Ingram. 

"The player at the top of their list is Paul George."@WindhorstESPN thinks the Sixers are going to give PG-13 a max contract offer in free agency, and will look to monitor Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram's situations 👀 pic.twitter.com/bRVVY1XeeO

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 3, 2024

George can become an unrestricted NBA free agent this summer if he declines his 2024-25 player option worth $48.8 million with the Los Angeles Clippers. 

The Clippers have until June 30 to sign George to an extension. They signed Kawhi Leonard to a three-year, $149 million extension in January.

Butler and Ingram are eligible to sign extensions this offseason. Butler, who used to play for the Sixers, wants a max contract extension from the Miami Heat, while Ingram wants to be paid fairly by the New Orleans Pelicans. 

The Sixers lost to the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2024 playoffs in six games, the Heat lost to the Boston Celtics in five games and the Pelicans were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

The Sixers have never advanced past the second round of the playoffs in the Joel Embiid era. Philadelphia is expected to sign Tyrese Maxey to a lucrative extension this summer and let Tobias Harris walk in free agency. 

The Clippers are down 3-2 to the Dallas Mavericks. George and Leonard have been teammates on the Clippers since 2019-20. LAC lost in the second round of the 2020 playoffs, lost in the conference finals in 2021, missed the playoffs in 2022 and lost in the first round in 2023. 

George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Clippers this season while shooting 47.1% from the field, 41.3% from beyond the arc and 90.7% from the free-throw line. 

Butler averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists for the Heat while shooting 49.9% from the field, 41.4% from 3 and 85.8% from the free-throw line. 

Finally, Ingram averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists for the Pelicans while shooting 49.2% from the field, 35.5% from deep and 80.1% from the free-throw line.