It has been a brutal first season with the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George. The question is... will it also be his last season in Philly?
George has only appeared in 41 games to date, dealing with myriad issues on the injury front. He hyperextended his left knee in October, then did so again in November. Then, George suffered a left pinkie injury in January, which required an uncomfortable splint. Now he's dealing with left groin soreness and has missed the Sixers' last four games.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the amalgamation of knee and groin problems has reached its boiling point. George and the 76ers are consulting with doctors on potential paths forward, which means George is probably done for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign. He reportedly received painkilling injections in five straight games leading up to the All-Star break.
Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George is consulting with doctors this week on treatment options for his groin and knee injuries, including a possible procedure, sources tell ESPN. A decision is expected early next week. pic.twitter.com/tHyDDzDyLn
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 13, 2025
This is, frankly, welcome news in Philadelphia. Not that George is hurt, of course, but that the Sixers are finally taking a more serious measure to address the ongoing problems — and leaning into the tank, as fate would have it. Joel Embiid has already been sidelined for the rest of the season. It's time for Philly to stop putting needless miles on its stars in a lost season.
As for George's future? Well, that remains a mystery. It sure feels like he could be on his way out the door this summer, though.
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Paul George's 76ers tenure might already be over with latest injury update
George inked a four-year, $212 million max contract in Philadelphia last summer. At the time, it was a celebrated move. He was the perfect third star on paper next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey — a versatile defensive wing who moonlights as a secondary creator and high-volume shooter. It's exactly what this Sixers team has lacked for ages.
Unfortunately, George has just not been himself this season. Like, at any point. There are a few sparse breakthroughs on his CV, but the 2024-25 campaign has been a slog from start to finish. George has been less aggressive than in years past, far too content blending into the fabric of the game when Philly requires star-level output. Too many times, George has taken fewer shots than Kelly Oubre. George has not been a "bad" player, per se, but when you're making max money, the output of a solid role player feels like a grave underperformance.
Philly can't expect to get another player of George's caliber in return, should he end up on the trade block. Or, perhaps more accurately, the Sixers can't expect to get another player of the caliber Philly expected George to be at this season. Rather than a top-20 star, the Sixers wound up with the 65th-best player in the world, per FanSided's NBA99. And that's being generous.
Daryl Morey won't be sentimental about Paul George
George might return to something closer to his peak next season, when he's less burdened by injuries. We should not discount the challenge of playing through knee, groin, and finger ailments simultaneously. That said, George's lengthy injury history is precisely the problem. He's 34, with a body that tends to fail him at inopportune moments. Philly can hardly count on a better, healthier version of George showing up next season, much less sustaining a better, healthier profile for 82 games and the playoffs.
Daryl Morey is a cold, hard businessman when it comes to basketball decisions. He wouldn't splurge on his BFF James Harden, so he's not going to cling to George if the right out presents itself. The challenge will be finding a team to absorb George's contract without requiring valuable assets from Philadelphia's limited stores to grease the wheels on a deal. The Sixers can't dump George if it means depleting their already-small cache of draft picks or offloading an important young piece, such as Justin Edwards.
The odds probably favor George returning next season — just like the odds favor Bradley Beal remaining in Phoenix — but don't be shocked if Morey is placing a lot of phone calls, looking for one foolish GM to take the plunge. That's all it takes. I'd start with Dallas.