New Boston Celtics forward Paul George has finally addressed his summer trade to the Philadelphia 76ers.
George averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists last season for the 76ers and had a strong Playoff run, helping the 76ers upset the Celtics from 3-1 down.
The Celtics have since acquired the 36-year-old and are hoping he plays a complementary role to Jayson Tatum in Joe Mazzulla’s system next season. It seems like George is excited as well.
Paul George is ‘ecstatic’ at the chance to play for the Celtics
The Celtics shared a video of George’s first visit to the Celtics facility, where the nine-time All-Star shared his feelings on his new team for the first time since being traded seven weeks ago.
“It’s surreal. I’m ecstatic… I’m looking forward to wearing that green and representing for Boston… I’m gonna give y’all everything.”
George is coming into this season with a lot to prove, as many were calling him one of the worst contracts in the NBA just a year ago.
The Celtics embraced the two years and $110.6 million remaining on George’s contract rather than extending Brown on another max contract this summer, getting a few first-round picks in the trade.
Unfortunately, the Celtics sending Brown to the 76ers for George led to Philadelphia signing LeBron James. Nonetheless, the Celtics will be motivated to have another winning season to prove the doubters of this trade wrong.
Can Paul George help the Celtics stay afloat?
The Celtics have been a genuine title contender for the last five years with the Brown and Tatum duo leading them.
While trading Brown allows Tatum to finally step into becoming a true No. 1 option, it also removes an extremely dependable option who won Finals MVP when Tatum was shooting under 40% in the 2024 NBA Finals.
Trading Brown for George is also a bet on giving increased on-ball usage to guards like Payton Pritchard and opening up rotational room for young wings like Hugo Gonzalez.
This was a roster-adjusting move to set the Celtics up for the next five years, with George’s max contract expiring in 2028. The franchise should stay competitive, but it’s hard to see them making a title run as presently constructed.
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