The pros and cons for 76ers signing Paul George this summer

The Philadelphia 76ers suffered another devastating loss in the playoffs, this time to the New York Knicks, marking the seventh straight year of Joel Embiid not making a Conference Finals and the 23rd straight season for the 76ers of not making a Conference Finals.

Throughout Joel Embiid's time in Philly, there have been multiple experiments with his star teammates — Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, James Harden, and now Tyrese Maxey.

After a very interesting season, the 76ers will have enough cap space to sign a max-contract free agent. They have been strongly linked to Paul George in rumors to create a new big three of Embiid, Maxey, and George. On paper, it seems like a clean fit but things are never as simple as they look on paper.

Here are the Pros and Cons of signing Paul George.

Con: Not a strong bench

The 76ers have only two players under contract for next season, Joel Embiid and Paul Reed. This is because they haven't offered Tyrese Maxey a contract extension yet. It's assumed that's coming but he's a restricted free agent and the exact features but it all depends on whether he makes an All-NBA team. Without making an All-NBA team, Maxey could receive a five-year, $205 million contract. If Maxey does make an All-NBA team, he could receive a five-year, $247 million contract.

If the 76ers do decide to sign Paul George to a max contract, it will be a four-year, $212 million deal. This means, that for the 2024-25 season, the 76ers will be paying George around $53 million, Embiid $51 million, and Maxey either $35.5 million or $42.6 million.

If the 76ers end up paying three max contract players, there isn't going to be a lot of cap space left over to sign role players. Kelly Oubre Jr. was on a minimum contract this season and an extremely productive contributor and the 76ers likely won't have the money to sign him. Other pieces like Buddy Hield, Tobias Harris, Kyle Lowry and De'Anthony Melton may also be too expensive to re-sign.

Having a big three of Embiid, George and Maxey may help them sign ring-chasing veterans but they might need more depth than that. We've seen from teams like the Suns and Bucks how hard it is to get good bench pieces at budget prices.

Pro: One of the best two-way wings

The 76ers this season finished 11th in defensive rating in the regular season but were vulnerable. Specifically in the playoffs, the 76ers could not guard Jalen Brunson at all. They tried using Oubre Jr., Lowry, Nic Batum, and Maxey but no one could stop him.

The 76ers also allowed Josh Hart to shoot 43.2 percent from 3 and Deuce McBride to shoot 43.3 percent from 3. The biggest story from the series was the fact that the Knicks killed the 76ers on the board by outrebounding them, especially in the fourth quarter.

Joel Embiid is one of the best two-way players in the league but adding Paul George combined with a defensive minded coach in Nick Nurse will make the 76ers one of if not the best defensive team in the NBA.

Even as Paul George ages, his defense can be top tier along with him being 6-foot-8, getting seven to 10 rebounds a game like clockwork. The East has teams like the Knicks, Pacers, Bucks, Magic, Cavaliers, Heat, and Celtics who all have great perimeter guards and wings. Having Paul George to defend them will be a huge advantage for the 76ers as well as George making his opponent work on the defensive end.

One thing that teams will have to think about is that not only do they have to worry about scoring against George, but if they get past him then Joel Embiid is waiting for them at the rim. That is a scary thought for opposing teams.

Con: Injuries

The 76ers know all too well about injuries, especially to their star player. Joel Embiid missed the first two seasons of his career with a foot injury and has been dealing with injuries ever since. The most games he has ever played in a season is 68.

Ever since Paul George has been with the Clippers, he's struggled to stay healthy. This season was the only time he played more than 70 games in a season with the Clippers and he has played in 56 or less every other year. On top of that, he has been hurt in the postseason or Play-In the last two years.

George just turned 34 years old on May 2, and older players don't become healthier. It is more than possible the 76ers sign him they'll only be getting him for 60-65 games a year.

With Joel Embiid's injury history, it is likely that there will be countless games where George and Embiid will not be available. If the 76ers can't fill out their bench, the potential for injuries could cost them as many games as it did this year.

The biggest potential downside of signing George is whether or not he is available. If he is, the 76ers could easily be a 60-win team but if he isn't, combined with Embiid being out, it could result in them being in the Play-In. If the 76ers sign him, it's a risk they have to be willing to take.

Pro: Big Three

The biggest pro for the 76ers in signing Paul George is creating a Big Three that can measure up with anyone in the league. More importantly, it is talent that fits together.

The benefit of having George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey is that they all can shoot, pass, defend, and don't need the ball in their hands. All three of their play styles should fit with each other and at times let one person go one-on-one if need be. Since Nick Nurse is one of the best coaches in the NBA, he will find a way to make it work.

Another benefit is that in this big three, George will be the third option instead of the first or second. As shown in his time with the Pacers, Thunder, and Clippers, George can at best lead a team to the Conference Finals. He has also had a lot of playoff series, including this year, where he simply did not play well. Being the third option behind Embiid and Maxey should take pressure off him to play more relaxed in the playoffs.

The 76ers have tried big threes before — Embiid, Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler, and another in Embiid, Maxey, and James Harden. A big three of Embiid, Maxey, and George would be the best of the bunch and give them the best chance of getting back to the NBA Finals.