Paul George

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Sixers, Nets Draft

After acquiring Brandon Ingram at the February trade deadline, the Raptors are viewed by teams around the league as a candidate to make another major move this offseason, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (hat tip to RealGM).

Toronto is one of those teams that is sitting there on the balls of its feet, which is interesting,” Windhorst said on the latest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link).

Eric Koreen of The Athletic added that the state of the Eastern Conference should push the Raptors to be slightly more aggressive, as the bottom of the conference is likely to be weak, especially if Giannis Antetokounmpo departs for the Western Conference.

However, Koreen adds that his instinct is that the core five Raptors, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, and Brandon Ingram, will likely remain with the team heading into next season.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • After a season that went much worse than expected, the Sixers are faced with a multitude of questions, writes Keith Pompey of The Inquirer. The first domino is the third overall pick in the 2025 draft. If they do use the No. 3 pick, don’t expect standout trade addition Quentin Grimes‘ impending free agency to impact the selection, says Pompey, who emphasizes the need to select the best player available. Pompey writes within the same story that another lackluster year from Philadelphia could spell the end of team president Daryl Morey‘s tenure as the lead decision-maker.
  • Speaking of the third pick in the 2025 draft, count Sixers star Paul George as a firm believer in Ace Bailey, Pompey writes in a separate story. Pompey reports that George has hyped up the 6’9″ wing three different times leading into the offseason. Recently, George said, “If there was no Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey would have been an even bigger name that people would have been talking about in this draft. … I think he’s going to come into the league and make noise right away.Carmelo Anthony and DeMarcus Cousins are two other former players who have raved about the shot-making wing, but others believe that the three-to-six or -seven range in the draft is basically interchangeable from a talent perspective.
  • The Nets missed out on the Flagg sweepstakes, but they still have five picks in the top 36 of the 2025 draft. Collin Helwig of NetsDaily rounded up a list of players who have been confirmed to have worked out for the franchise, a list that doesn’t yet include Jeremiah Fears or Kon Knueppel. Colorado State’s Nique Clifford is the highest-ranked name known to have worked out for the team so far, along with Tennessee’s Chaz Lanier. Helwig notes that St. John’s Aaron Scott and Temple’s Steve Settle both worked out in Brooklyn, as did Wake Forest guard Hunter Sallis and West Virginia’s Javon Small. Finally, Helwig writes that international players Noa Essengue, Ben Saraf, and Hugo Gonzalez will not be working out for the team, as they finish their seasons overseas.

Fischer’s Latest: Sixers’ Draft Plans, George, Spurs, Durant, Holiday

The Sixers will listen to offers for the No. 3 pick in next month’s draft, but they aren’t expected to part with it unless they get another high selection in return, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports in his latest Substack column (subscription required).

There has been speculation that president of basketball operations Daryl Morey might be interested in moving the pick in exchange for a veteran who could offer immediate help to a team that’s coming off a 24-58 season. However, Fischer states that the front office recognizes the value of having young players on rookie-scale contracts in the apron era.

Jared McCain, last year’s first-round pick, got off to a strong start before tearing his meniscus in December and undergoing season-ending surgery. Morey is counting on McCain to return and form a solid young core with Tyrese Maxey and this year’s pick that will fit well alongside Joel Embiid and Paul George.

Fischer indicates that rival teams with interest in trading for the No. 3 pick are split over whether Rutgers forward Ace Bailey or Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe is the better selection. He adds that Texas guard Tre Johnson may also be in that mix.

Fischer shares more inside information from around the NBA:

  • The Sixers aren’t trying to get rid of George, and Fischer calls recent reports that they might package the No. 3 pick to unload his contract a “misread” of the situation. Fischer states that the team understands George’s value is at a low point coming off an injury-plagued season, and teams will be wary of taking his contract, which has three years and $162.4MM remaining. Fischer adds that Philadelphia is unlikely to pursue a George trade unless he requests it.
  • “Numerous rival teams” have told Fischer that they expect the Spurs to hold onto the No. 2 selection and draft Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, even though he’s not a perfect fit with De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle.
  • The Suns haven’t started trade discussions involving Kevin Durant, and Fischer cautions that it’s not a sure thing he’ll be moved this summer. New general manager Brian Gregory has been focused on finding a head coach, trimming the list of candidates down to nine over the weekend. Fischer reports that Phoenix will be in the market for a starting-level center during the offseason.
  • Jrue Holiday has been a popular name in trade rumors, but Fischer hears that the Celtics may not have an easy time moving him. Multiple rival executives have told Fischer that Boston will have to include a sweetener, likely in the form of draft picks, to get anyone to take on the $104MM that the 34-year-old Holiday is owed over the next three years.

Sixers Notes: Yabusele, Embiid, George, Bailey

Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is making it known that re-signing free agent forward Guerschon Yabusele will be an offseason priority. In a recent appearance on the Rights to Ricky Sanchez podcast, Morey was asked if he had a message for Yabusele, who was slated to join the hosts on draft lottery night (hat tip to HoopsHype).

“He’s really embraced Philly, which is exciting,” Morey responded. “He’s going to have many great options—I mean, he’s very valued around the league. So, hopefully he understands how important he is to us and to the fans of Philly. Him being at your event—I think you might actually help us in free agency by having him there.”

Morey delivered a similar message with “Kincade and Salciunas” on 97.5 The Fanatic (hat tip to Sportando), saying, “Yabusele’s an unrestricted free agent so we will look to re-sign him, but historically in the league, that tends to be a harder situation, but it would be awesome if we could get him back.”

Yabusele played two years in Boston, then spent five seasons in Europe before rekindling NBA interest with a strong performance in the Summer Olympics. He signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia last August and was one of the few bright spots in an injury-filled season, averaging 11.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per night in 70 games.

The Sixers only hold Yabusele’s Non-Bird rights, so they’re limited to offering him a 120% raise above his minimum salary unless they use part of their mid-level exception. He has expressed a desire to remain in Philadelphia, but he may get better offers on the open market.

There’s more on the Sixers:

  • Morey has expressed optimism that Joel Embiid can return to his MVP form, but the odds are against it, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer states in a mailbag column. Embiid, 32, is coming off two significant operations on his left knee within 14 months. The star center’s recovery progress this summer will be closely watched, but it’s possible that knee issues will continue to bother him for the rest of his career.
  • There won’t be much of a market if the team tries to unload Paul George‘s contract during the offseason, Pompey predicts in the same piece. Injuries limited George to 41 games this season, and he still has three years and $162.3MM left on the contract he signed as a free agent last summer. Age is another concern as he turned 35 earlier this month, and Pompey notes that any executive would be risking his job by trading for George if it doesn’t work out.
  • Ace Bailey, who’s considered a strong possibility to be selected by the Sixers with the No. 3 pick, listed George as one of his player comparisons in an interview at the draft combine (Twitter video link from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). “Big three. KD (Kevin Durant), Paul George and Jayson Tatum,” Bailey said. “George and Tatum, their creation for them to get their shot off is unbelievable. I see myself doing the same thing. KD in the mid post with one, two dribbles, or less is straight buckets.”

And-Ones: Vezenkov, Metu, Bad Contracts, Front Offices, More

Former NBA forward Sasha Vezenkov, who spent the 2023/24 season with the Kings, is enjoying a hugely successful return to Europe this season. Vezenkov finished as the runner-up in EuroLeague MVP voting after averaging 20.2 points per game for Olympiacos and has now been named the EuroLeague Playoffs MVP for his performance in the Greek team’s quarterfinal series vs. Real Madrid, according to a press release.

It’s the first time the EuroLeague has named a Playoffs MVP — the award doesn’t encompass the league’s Final Four, which will be played later this month. Vezenkov, who gave up a fully guaranteed $6.7MM salary with the Raptors last summer in order to head back overseas, will be looking to lead Olympiacos to a win over AS Monaco on May 23 in the semifinals and – ultimately – to a EuroLeague championship.

In other European basketball news, Barcelona is parting ways with former NBA big man Chimezie Metu, who tore his Achilles in March, per a Mundo Deportivo report (hat tip to Sportando).

After appearing in 260 regular season games for four NBA teams from 2018-24, Metu played a key role for Barça this season prior to the injury, averaging 11.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per game across 24 EuroLeague outings.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report identifies five star players he believes have negative trade value due to their massive contracts, including a pair of Sixers (Joel Embiid and Paul George) and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray. Interestingly, Pincus gives Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen an honorable mention, noting that one Eastern Conference executive referred to Markkanen’s deal (four years, $196MM) as the worst in the league. That’s “probably hyperbolic,” Pincus writes, though he notes that several teams view the contract as a major overpay.
  • In an article open to non-subscribers, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) hands out his front office awards – the “Yossis” – for the 2024/25 NBA season. Gozlan recognizes the Thunder for their overall salary cap management, the Knicks for their creative cap machinations in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, and the Hawks for most improving their long-term outlook over the past year, while also handing out a few other awards.
  • Even before home teams opened the second round by losing their first six games, the impact of home-court advantage in the NBA playoffs was on the decline, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. According to Vorkunov, home teams won at least 60 percent of their games in 56 of the NBA’s first 78 postseasons, but that hasn’t happened since 2018 — and home teams have lost 10 of 15 Game Sevens since 2021. So far this spring, teams have a home record of just 26-24 in the playoffs.

Atlantic Notes: Ujiri, Rajakovic, Raptors, Sixers’ Trio, Knicks Bigs

The Raptors‘ front office, led by president Masai Ujiri, is determined to get the team back into championship contention, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes. In his end-of-season news conference, Ujiri expressed that he wasn’t able to enjoy Toronto’s championship in 2019 as much as he would’ve liked and that all he thinks about is getting his team back to that spot.

[Our goal] is getting better and adding more players and building this team and growing to be a championship team,” Ujiri said. “A championship is the end goal of all of this, and when that comes, we don’t know, but we have to identify those players and build with those kinds of players.

The Raptors took a big swing by acquiring Brandon Ingram at the deadline and giving him a multiyear extension before he played a game for the team.

At the end of the day, you have to acquire talent,” Ujiri said. “We have to do it in a unique way in the market that we’re in and we’ve got to jump on opportunities that come our way, sometimes after we really study them.

Ujiri’s comments this week represented a departure from the ones he made a year ago, when he expressed a willingness to embark on a multiyear rebuild, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Toronto did maximize its draft talent this year, with rookies Ja’Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, Jamal Shead and Jamison Battle all stepping up and playing big roles.

I was really happy with the way these guys played and hopefully their development comes up more and more,” Ujiri said. “Yeah, we tried to attack the odds in the lottery and see what we can do. It’s a good draft. And honestly, wherever we fall, we feel very confident. Our guys have done a lot of work all year. We’re extremely excited.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The pressure to win has been relatively low in Toronto with the team acquiring and developing so many young players, Grange writes in another piece. But with the Raptors‘ focus shifting toward winning, head coach Darko Rajakovic is ready for the team’s next phase and has the full buy-in of his players. “He’s a really good coach. He cares about us. He really does,RJ Barrett said. “He comes in and he challenges us every single day. And it’s nice when you know that you have somebody that cares about you — makes you want to play even harder for them. Darko’s a guy you can have conversations with about anything, and he’s very helpful. Always teaching, but he listens to us and our ideas. Yeah. So, like, that stuff is great.
  • Sixers wing Paul George wants the team’s big three – himself, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid – to spend more time together this offseason, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “I think that’s very important,” George said. “We’ve already talked about seeing each other, where we’re going to be this summer. So we’ve already had those conversations about connecting once the season’s over. I think it’s very important. I don’t think it’s healthy to go two, three months before seeing each other, regardless of if we’re checking in over the phone. It’s just different seeing each other.
  • The Knicks might turn to two-big lineups in the playoffs against the Pistons, Peter Botte of the New York Post writes. Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns only played 47 minutes together this season, but that two-man grouping outscored opponents by 9.2 points per 100 possessions. Head coach Tom Thibodeau said that despite the small sample size, he liked what he saw from that pairing.

Sixers Notes: George, Bona, Grimes

Paul George acknowledged that his first season with the Sixers was a complete mess. George signed a four-year, $211.6MM contract last offseason.

“To be honest, it was one of the toughest seasons for me, just with a lot of adversity on the court, off the court,” George told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “The injury stuff … was some stuff I didn’t necessarily know I had going on until deep diving and finding out. There was other stuff I didn’t know that was causing my limitations, which was frustrating — not being able to do things I normally could do, and finding out the reason why. Those things are being addressed, so that’s the positive.”

George missed half of Philadelphia’s games due to a variety of injuries. He’s preparing to get back to full health by training camp.

“All in all, I’m expecting to ramp up to a great summer and hitting the ground running,” he said. “So there shouldn’t be any limitation for me in the future to train and get prepared for this next season.”

George believes he can return to an All-Star level if he can get his body right. “I know what level I can play at when I am healthy,” he said, “and obviously, it’s a struggle when I’m not healthy.”

We have more on the Sixers:

  • Second-round pick Adem Bona, who appeared in 58 games during his rookie campaign, has a decision to make this offseason. Should he represent Nigeria or Turkey in international competitions? “I’ve played for the national team for almost every age group since U16 to U20. So, the Turkish national team is very important to me. Also, I’m from Nigeria. The Nigerian national team is important to me.” he told Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.  “I don’t think there’s any preference. I represent both countries equally, but there’s going to be a decision that has to be made during the summer.” Turkey will participate in EuroBasket this August and September.
  • How will the Sixers handle Quentin Grimes‘ restricted free agency? Yossi Gozlan of ThirdApron.com (Substack link) tackles that subject and many others in his offseason preview, speculating that something in the range of the full mid-level (a little over $60MM across four years) might make sense for Grimes.
  • In case you missed it, Daryl Morey and Nick Nurse will return next season. Get the details here.

Sixers Notes: George, Maxey, Lowry, Grimes, Oubre, Drummond

There were sky-high expectations for the Sixers heading into this season after Paul George signed with the team as a free agent last summer, joining Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to form a big three. However, Philadelphia lost 12 of its first 14 games en route to a massively disappointing 24-58 season, as injuries decimated the roster and prevented the team from ever gaining any real momentum.

“Yeah, it was just, to be honest, one of the toughest seasons for me,” George said on Sunday, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “Just with a lot of adversity on the court, off the court and, then again, the injury stuff was some stuff that I didn’t necessarily know I had going on … which was frustrating.”

As ugly as this season was, George and Maxey indicated on Sunday that they still believe the core is capable of competing for a championship in future seasons.

“The names on the paper … it looks nice. It does,” Maxey said. “And I think we’ve seen where our peaks can be this year. There wasn’t a lot of them. But there was some stretches where we all played and we looked really good. We found the right rotations, we knew who to get the ball to, who we need to get the ball to them, everybody got shots, everybody looked good.

“So the sky’s the limit. That’s the thing that I can say. But the work has to be put in from day one, not from in the middle of the season. … Today is our last game. Whenever everybody decides to start working out again, that’s when our season for next year starts, individually and collectively. And it has to be taken serious. And I think we will take it serious and I have the ultimate faith in the organization and the guys up top and my teammates to do that.”

Here’s more on the 76ers:

  • Maxey told reporters on Sunday that he needs “about another month” before his finger injury recovery has progressed enough for him to resume basketball activities, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports.
  • Veteran point guard Kyle Lowry said after Sunday’s regular season finale that he’d like to play at least one more year in the NBA and hopes to do it with his hometown Sixers, per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). Lowry, who turned 39 last month, is finishing up his 19th NBA season, so one more would give him an even 20.
  • Quentin Grimes, who entered Sunday’s game with 1,978 minutes played this season, logged 35 minutes in Philadelphia’s loss to Chicago to surpass the 2,000-minute threshold and meet the starter criteria. That means his qualifying offer as a restricted free agent this summer will be worth $8,741,210 instead of $6,311,825. That change is unlikely to affect how Grimes’ free agency plays out, since he’s a strong candidate to sign a lucrative multiyear contract.
  • Here’s what Sixers wing Kelly Oubre, who holds an $8.4MM player option for 2025/26, had to say about his contract situation on Sunday, according to Bodner (Twitter link): “This is a business, but at the end of the day I’m happy. And I like to finish what I start, and I don’t feel complete. So, godspeed.”
  • Big man Andre Drummond also has a player option for ’25/26 (worth $5MM) and expressed interest in remaining in Philadelphia. My plan is to be back,” he told reporters after Sunday’s game (Twitter link via Bodner).

Sixers’ Nurse: Health Of Embiid, George Crucial For Next Season

The Sixers‘ nightmare season is about to end, but there are no guarantees that next season will be any better or that their stars will be any healthier. Before Monday’s game at Miami, which marked Philadelphia’s 12th straight loss and its 29th in 32 games, coach Nick Nurse talked about the prospects for 2025/26, acknowledging that everything centers around the availability of Joel Embiid and Paul George, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“There’s, obviously, a good number of them that need to get taken care of, get back to health, but obviously, Joel and Paul will be the big concerns,” Nurse said. “Can they get back and get ready to go? And I guess we won’t find that out for a little while, and then you start unpacking and then you get back to thinking there’s some really, really good players there and start piecing it together and then we get ready to build out the rest of the roster around them.”

Embiid dealt with left knee issues all season long and was limited to just 19 games. Swelling in the knee delayed his season debut until November 12, and he was in an out of the lineup after that. He was eventually shut down for good on February 28 and will undergo arthroscopic surgery later this week.

Embiid remains a force when he’s healthy, having averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 30.2 minutes per game, but the Sixers will need him on the court far more often to be competitive. The extension he signed last summer gives him $179MM in guaranteed money over the next three years, with a $69MM player option for 2028/29.

The Sixers viewed George as the missing piece to a title contender when they signed him to a four-year max deal in free agency. Various injuries limited him to 41 games before he was ruled out for the rest of the season on March 17 due to adductor and knee issues.

George averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in his first season with Philadelphia, but he never reached the All-Star level he displayed during his time with the Clippers. He’s owed $51.7MM next season, $54.1MM in 2026/27 and holds a $56.6MM player option for 2027/28.

As Pompey notes, the Sixers’ injury woes didn’t end with their two veteran stars. Tyrese Maxey appeared in just 52 games and hasn’t played since March 3 due to an injured finger tendon. Rookie guard Jared McCain quickly found his way into the rotation, but was lost for the season after 23 games with a torn meniscus. Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, Kyle Lowry and several others have also missed significant time due to injuries.

The results have been ugly, as the Sixers have struggled to field a competitive team since the All-Star break. Nurse used his 53rd different starting lineup of the season on Monday, Pompey notes in a separate story, consisting of Lonnie Walker, Quentin Grimes, Adem Bona, Marcus Bagley and Jared Butler. Pompey points out that Bona was the only member of that group who was on the roster before February.

Nick Nurse Reflects On Difficult Season After Sixers Officially Eliminated

Head coach Nick Nurse discussed the frustrations of a lost year after the Sixers were officially eliminated from postseason contention with Saturday’s loss to Miami (Twitter video link from PHLY Sixers).

“Obviously it’s not anywhere near where we had hoped it would be when we set out this summer and this fall, that’s for sure” Nurse said. “That’s the only thing you can say, it was a super struggle. You know, most of the way I think there was only a couple times of some momentum. Right? December, and there was another I think four- or five-game winning streak in there, too, where you were always holding out hope that the team was playing better and getting some wins and hopefully get some players back.”

That turnaround never came, as the Sixers were plagued by injuries to stars and role players throughout the season. Franchise cornerstone Joel Embiid was limited to 19 games before being declared out for the season in late February. Top free agent addition Paul George appeared in 41 games before he was ruled out for the season in mid-March. Tyrese Maxey was active for 52 games, but he hasn’t played since March 3 due to a sprained finger and probably won’t return this season.

Injury issues affected virtually the entire roster, as Philadelphia got just 40 games out of Andre Drummond, 39 from Eric Gordon and 33 from Kyle Lowry. Rookie guard Jared McCain was lost after 23 games due to a meniscus tear following a promising start.

Tonight marked the Sixers’ 50th different starting lineup in 74 games, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel (Twitter link), with Justin Edwards, Guerschon Yabusele, Adem Bona, Quentin Grimes and Jared Butler opening the game.

“It just didn’t seem like the injury bug would ever leave us,” Nurse said. “It just seemed like every time we’d have a good game it would cost us a player or two for the next one. We never could build any momentum.”

The good news for the Sixers is that tonight’s defeat, combined with Brooklyn’s win, drops them a half-game behind the Nets and gives them the fifth-worst record in the league. Philadelphia’s first-round pick in this year’s draft is top-six protected and will convey to Oklahoma City if it falls outside that range.

The 23-51 Sixers have now dropped seven straight and 24 of their last 28. Five of their final eight games are against teams under .500, starting with Sunday’s home contest against Toronto.

Sixers Notes: Grimes, Yabusele, Butler, Nurse, Injury Report

Quentin Grimes, a trade deadline acquisition, continues to shine for the Sixers. The combo guard — a restricted free agent after this season — erupted for a career-high 46 points against the Rockets in an overtime loss on Monday. Grimes, who also finished with a career-best 13 rebounds, has scored 30 or more points in five separate games since coming to Philadelphia.

“It’s cool,” Grimes told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “But I had a costly turnover that cost us the game late in the fourth. I have to be better in those situations, probably on the ball, try to get fouled. It’s cool and all, but we probably should have just ended the game, ended it with a win.”

We have more on the Sixers:

  • While they have been decimated by injuries, big man Guerschon Yabusele has continued to play despite battling knee soreness. Yabusele sat out Monday’s game, but he’s appeared in 62 of 68 games and has served as a few of the few constants in Philadelphia this season. “That’s just who I am,” he told Pompey. “I always try to keep playing no matter what. You know that’s just me. I just want to compete. I want to be out there and help the guys. I hate just being on the bench and looking at the guys over there, struggling or losing. It’s something I don’t like to be a part of.” Yabusele has some extra incentive to stay on the court — he will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
  • The Sixers had only nine players available on Monday, yet nearly knocked off one of the better teams in the Western Conference. “I think it’s just outside of our nature to go out there and try to lose,” guard Jared Butler said, per Pompey. ”I can’t see myself playing like that in any kind of way.”
  • While some fans might be unhappy with head coach Nick Nurse, he shouldn’t be the scapegoat for the team’s dismal season, Pompey argues. Nurse has been forced to juggle the rotation throughout the season due to the rash of injuries, using 44 different starting lineups, Pompey points out.
  • Kelly Oubre Jr. is doubtful for Wednesday’s game against the Thunder due to a sprained right knee, Pompey tweets. Yabusele is questionable, while Tyrese Maxey, Andre Drummond, Adem Bona, Kyle Lowry and Lonnie Walker remain out.
  • In case you missed it, Paul George has been ruled out for the season. Get the details here.
OSZAR »