The 76ers’ season, which was starting to take shape, suffered a significant blow Saturday.
The NBA announced that Paul George will be suspended 25 games without pay for violating the terms of the NBA and National Basketball Players Association anti-drug program.
“Over the past few years, I’ve discussed the importance of mental health, and in the course of recently seeking treatment for an issue of my own, I made the mistake of taking an improper medication,” George said in a statement to ESPN. “I take full responsibility for my actions and apologize to the Sixers organization, my teammates, and the Philly fans for my decision-making during this process.
“I am focused on using this time to make sure that my mind and body are in the best condition to help the team when I return.”
Under the suspension, George won’t be eligible to play until the March 25 game against the Chicago Bulls at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The 35-year-old will lose $11.7 million during the suspension.
As a result, the Sixers will receive a $5.8 million tax variance credit.
After the fifth game of his suspension, George will be moved from the active to the suspended list. The Sixers will be able to sign an additional player once he’s on that list.
The Sixers head into Saturday’s home game against the New Orleans Pelicans with the Eastern Conference’s sixth-best record of 26-21.
With George and Joel Embiid healthy, the Sixers were recognized as one of the NBA’s most dangerous teams. They were a squad capable of beating any team on any given night.
The 6-foot-8 forward is averaging 16.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals in 27 games this season.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse said before Saturday’s game that he’s spoken to George. Nurse also didn’t say that George didn’t exhibit signs of dealing with mental-health issues this season.
“I’m not gonna share anybody’s mental health issues with anybody, in general,” he said. “I think he’s been fine. Been really fun to coach, a really good teammate, his teammates really like him. I think showing some great leadership, and I think he’s played well, and I think he’s, again, slotted into a situation where he kinda sees OK, Tyrese [Maxey] is going here, and [Joel Embiid]’s coming back, and this is what I need to do, and I think he was doing things at a really high level.”
Prior to this suspension, he was dealing with injuries during his tenure with the Sixers.
George, in his 16th NBA season, missed the first 12 games of the season with left knee injury management. He has yet to be cleared to play in back-to-back games.
The Sixers signed George to a four-year, $211.5 million contract in July 2024 to form the Big Three with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
As the NBA’s top free-agent target that summer, his presence was encouraging for a Sixers franchise with championship aspirations.
The six-time All-NBA selection and four-time All-Defensive pick averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in 2023-24 for the Los Angeles Clippers. He shot a career-best 41.3% on three-pointers.
Yet George played in only 41 games last season as a Sixer, hampered by various injuries. His final contest of the season was on March 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was officially ruled out for the remainder of that season on March 17, the day he received injections in the left adductor muscle in his groin and left knee.
George was expected to return in time for training camp. However, the nine-time All-Star had arthroscopic left knee surgery on July 11. As a result, he missed all four exhibition games and the start of the regular season.
“He’s still part of the team,” Nurse said. “He can’t play the games, but still allowed in the facility. and practices and all that stuff.
“We’re gonna make sure those things continue to happen to get him back, and I just told him listen—as with all our players dealing with this type of stuff—we care about him. We’re here to help him, the organization is, in any way possible, and gotta get through it the best way we can, and then go from there.“
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