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The Philadelphia 76ers and Paul George have been linked from the minute both were ousted from the NBA Playoffs, thanks to the latter's impending free agency and the former's need for a third star to go alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey if the squad hopes to compete in the Eastern Conference.

Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype reported that contrary to a recent report that cited traveling across the country to sign with Philadelphia as a reason the Los Angeles Clippers star's interest in joining the squad had cooled down, "there remains significant interest from the 76ers in signing him as a free agent, league sources told HoopsHype."

There should be considerable interest on Philly's part when it comes to signing Paul.

He is the one star that fits the organization in terms of what it has in place and what it hopes to accomplish in the coming years.

The 76ers are about to sign Maxey to a max deal that will pay him $205 million over five years according to The Athletic's John Hollinger and after his performance this past season, the front office believes he can be the face of the team for years to come.

The last thing the organization wants to do is go out and acquire a superstar who does not acknowledge as much, comes in, and tries to establish himself as the guy at the detriment to Maxey's development.

The team does not have to worry about that with Paul.

Sure, he can step up, take over games, and shut opponents down like any other megastar the league has to offer. He is also an incredibly unselfish player for someone of his stature, content to play the setup man for others, as we have seen at every stop in his professional career.

He has no problem playing a No. 2, dishing the ball to his teammates and putting them in the best position to succeed, then dropping back in defense and playing gritty ball when necessary. He does not have to capture the headlines, trend on social media for his dazzling offense or overshadow his teammates.

That will endear him to Embiid, too, who has plenty left in the tank and remains the current face of the Philadelphia franchise.

From a statistical standpoint, George brings undeniable numbers to the table.

In 33.8 minutes of work per game in 2023-24, he averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, a field goal percentage of 47.1, and a three-point percentage of 41.3. Most impressive were the shooting percentages, which were the highest of his 14-year career.

Add to them his 90.7 percent from the foul line, a full three-percent uptick from a season earlier, and you have a legitimate superstar who has not rested on his reputation but, rather, continues to put the work in to be better than he was.

It is no wonder that the 76ers and other contending teams, such as the Golden State Warriors, are eager to sign George.

Warriors are prepared to offer PG a 4-year max via opt-in and trade, per <a href="https://twitter.com/WindhorstESPN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WindhorstESPN</a> 😮💰 <a href="https://t.co/uKdYa1DyWv">pic.twitter.com/uKdYa1DyWv</a>

None, though, need him and would benefit as much as the Sixers would, particularly in an Atlantic Division that is home to the NBA champion Boston Celtics and a New York Knicks team that got exponentially better over the last few days with a trade for Mikal Bridges and the re-signing of OG Anunoby.

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