Translator's Note: This article was originally published on the Fansided Clipper Channel Clipper Holics. The author is Iliyan Lakhani. The data in the article are as of the time of publication of the original article (November 22, local time). The opinions in the article have nothing to do with the translator and the platform.

To this day, when Paul George has started his second season with the Philadelphia 76ers, the complete story of how his era with the Los Angeles Clippers ended has not yet fully emerged. The ins and outs of this matter have two sides, and both sides have their own positions and opinions, but as time goes by, the truth is gradually becoming clear-George may just see a brighter future in Philadelphia, and this vision for the future ultimately defeated the Clippers' sincerity in hoping that he would renew his contract and stay with the team.

So far this season, George has only played in two games, and his season debut happened to be against his old team, the Clippers. In this focus matchup on Monday, George contributed 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Although from a data perspective, this performance is not particularly dazzling, neither reaching the average level of his career, nor being able to single-handedly influence the outcome of the game, the significance of this game goes far beyond the data itself - George returned to the familiar arena as an opponent, and it also reflects his integration into the new team.

It is worth noting that the 76ers are currently filled with positive energy and joyful atmosphere, and George's return and recovery in form have added fuel to this good team atmosphere. This scene just shows that what the Clippers should do now is to miss George's contributions to the team, rather than secretly rejoicing or even gloating because he resolutely left the team.

Paul George's decision to leave the Clippers is increasingly showing its wisdom.

Of course, when Paul George made the transfer decision, the salary package provided by the Philadelphia 76ers was undoubtedly one of the important considerations. But it is obvious that George did not just focus on the immediate financial interests. He made a more in-depth analysis of the 76ers' long-term development prospects before making his final choice.

Maxi is a young core who has grown into the league's top scorer. His explosive power, scoring stability and improving organizational skills provide a solid foundation for the team's offensive system. The team selected rising star VJ Edgecombe with their 2025 first-round pick. This rising superstar has shown on-field wisdom and competitive strength beyond his years and is regarded as an important cornerstone of the team's future. In addition, factors such as the 76ers' tactical system built on high-quality young players and role players also impressed George. Therefore, although George encountered a lot of criticism on the court last season, and both his ups and downs and key ball performance were questioned by the outside world, the nine-time All-Star still firmly believes that the 76ers will not let him down.

George's final decision to change the gate now seems to be undoubtedly extremely wise. As of now, the Philadelphia 76ers rank sixth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 9 wins and 6 losses, showing a good momentum of steady improvement. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Clippers are currently only ranked 12th in the Western Conference, with a dismal record and bleak prospects. Not only do they not have reliable draft picks to add new blood in the future, core player Leonard is also plagued by injuries. At the same time, the team is still under the attention of the league due to accusations of salary cap circumvention.

Due to not participating in systematic confrontation training for a long time, George is still in the stage of regaining the feeling of the game at the beginning of this season, and his competitive state has not yet fully returned to its peak level. But even so, the 76ers, led by the young duo of Maxey and Edgecombe, were still able to win games steadily. It is foreseeable that when George completely gets rid of the impact of injuries and long-term absence and returns to the All-Star level, the 76ers are likely to have an impressive rebound season.

In fact, in just 30 days after the start of the 2025-26 regular season, the 76ers have already won 9 games. This number has exceeded one-third of their total wins last season (24 games).

That being said, the narrative about George and the Clippers needs to be re-examined. He listened to his gut, judged the facts, and prioritized which team would have a better future in five years, all of which ultimately trumped the huge contract extension that Clippers general manager Frank sent to his mailbox - Frank had desperately hoped that the star player on both offense and defense would stay with the team and continue to be one of the core of the team's championship. Now, with the strong rise of the 76ers and the continued slump of the Clippers, George's original choice seems to have the answer.