Los Angeles Clippers fans don't have much to feel positive about at the moment, but there is at least one thing they can be happy didn't happen. If it had, the Clippers' situation would look even more dire. If you can remember all the way back to 2024, Los Angeles let Paul George walk to the Sixers to sign a four-year, $212 million deal.
George played 74 games in what was his final season in LA, averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. The Clippers looked silly for letting him go, refusing to pay him what he wanted. Now, the Sixers look silly for paying George that money.
He averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 steals in his first season in Philly, shooting 43% from the field and 35.8% from three in 41 games. George didn't look like the player he had been the season before.
To make matters worse for the Sixers, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee in July due to an injury that happened during a workout. George didn't make his 2025-26 debut until Nov. 17. Since then, he's played a total of eight games for the Sixers, averaging 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game in 24.4 minutes, shooting 41.8% from the field and 34.9% from deep.
At least the Clippers didn't pay Paul George
It would've absolutely been nice for Los Angeles to get something in return for George, rather than let him walk for nothing, but at least the Clippers didn't hand him the contract that Philadelphia did. Many people thought the Sixers "won" the offseason because they got George, but little did they know.
George hasn't been the star that Philadelphia hoped he'd be alongside Joel Embiid, who has dealt with his own struggles. The Sixers' best player is Tyrese Maxey, who has carried a lot of weight on his shoulders because of George and Embiid. Philadelphia has a mess on its hands with those two.
It's true that Los Angeles is dealing with a mess of its own, too. By no means are the Clippers in a better situation than the Sixers, but at least Philadelphia is the one trying to figure out what to do with George, who may never look close to the player that he was in 2023-24.
Los Angeles does have a thing for aging stars, though, but at least one of those stars is no longer Paul George.