Marcus Hayes: Even if Paul George was the Sixers' best option, that doesn't mean it was a smart move

Probably not. All things considered, probably not.

But he moves it closer than anyone else would, at least for the next season or two. He maximizes the Sixers’ potential while Embiid is at what is likely to be a very brief peak.

That’s Daryl Morey’s only directive: Maximize Embiid.

Unfortunately, unless the Sixers can cash in on that peak, their financial future looks bleak.

They will owe George more than $50 million per year at the ages of 35 and 36.

Later this summer they can, and likely will, give Embiid a three-year, $193 million extension through the 2029-30 season. Including his $59 million player option in 2026-27, that means Embiid will average $63 million per season at the ages of 32, 33, 34, and 35.

Embiid has had seven surgeries since entering the NBA. He has bad knees. He’s never in shape.

There is no conceivable reality in which he’s worth $63 million in three or four years.

Similarly, George isn’t worth $50 million today. He might have been worth that in 2018-19 with the Thunder, the only season he averaged more than 25 points. He might have been worth that in 2013-14 with the Pacers, his coming-out year, before he broke his leg with Team USA that summer and missed all but six games of the next season.

But, in the past five seasons, perhaps no superstar has battled injury in a more varied and frequent manner than has George: shoulder, foot, ankle, hamstring, elbow.

He’s been the Joel Embiid of the West Coast.

And now, as they enter their NBA dotage, they’re expected to win together.