Clippers’ Ty Lue: Paul George ‘Hard to Replace’ After 76ers Contract in 2024 NBA FA

Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTFeatured Columnist IVJuly 10, 2024

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The Philadelphia 76ers made the biggest splash in free agency this summer, signing Paul George to a four-year, $211.5 million max contract.

And his former head coach with the Los Angeles Clippers, Ty Lue, was sorry to see him go.

“You lose an important piece to the team like PG, it’s hard to replace,” Lue told ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “I’m disappointed that we weren’t able to get the deal done, disappointed he didn’t come back. It’s tough for the organization. We got to see how we move forward from here. I talked to him many times, trying to see what his mindset was, what we need to do different, how we can help his process along. It’s unfortunate that he left.”

The Clippers didn’t rest on their laurels in the wake of losing George, re-signing James Harden to a two-year, $70 million deal while adding Derrick Jones Jr. and Nic Batum in free agency, among other moves.

But losing George will hurt in a major way. The nine-time All-Star was second on the team in scoring last season, posting 22.6 points per game, while adding 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals. Two-way star wings with George’s versatility are rare, and the Clippers are undoubtedly a worse team without him.