To this day, with Paul George in his second season with the Philadelphia 76ers, the story of how his era ended with the LA Clippers is not entirely transparent. There are indeed two sides, but clarity around the situation is beginning to unfold, as George may have just seen a better future in Philadelphia, which triumphed over LA's interest in hoping he would re-sign.
George has played only two games this season, with his debut coincidentally against the Clippers. He posted nine points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in their matchup on Monday of this week.
However, the vibes in Philadelphia are bright and joyous, and George's return enriches them. This suggests the Clippers should be missing him rather than taking a victory lap on him putting his foot down and stepping away.
Paul George's decision to leave the Clippers looks smarter by the day
Of course, Paul George had to look at the money the Philadelphia 76ers were going to pay him, but evidently, he also analyzed what they had in the long term.
Factors like Tyrese Maxey, the 2025 first-round pick that was used on rising superstar V.J. Edgecomb, and a system that thrives on high-quality youth and role players convinced George. Thus, despite all of the criticism he received last season, the nine-time All-Star knew the 76ers would not let him down.
Moreover, George was ultimately wise for changing homes. The 76ers are currently 9-6 as the sixth seed, while the LA Clippers are 12th, with no dependable draft picks in their future and an injured Kawhi Leonard, who is also still under the league's eye for cap circumvention accusations.
As he dusts off the rust, after going through an extended period of time of no organized five-on-five basketball, the 76ers are going to keep winning with reluctance on Maxey and Edgecomb. This young duo is filling seats rapidly in Xfinity Mobile Arena, and when the All-Star version of George returns, Philadelphia may log a memorable bounce-back season.
In fact, their nine wins in the first 30 days of the 2025-26 regular season are already over one-third of what they accomplished last season(24).
That said, George's narrative with the Clippers needs to be reframed. He listened to his intuition, judged the facts, and prioritized which team would have a better future in five years, which all overpowered the massive contract from Lawrence Frank sitting in his inbox, who wanted the two-way star to stick around.