Philadelphia’s Paul George has been suspended 25 games for “violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program,” the league announced Saturday.
George’s suspension begins Saturday night against New Orleans and will keep him out through March 25, when the 76ers host the Bulls.
George gave this statement to Shams Charania of ESPN:
“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. I take full responsibility for my actions and apologize to the Sixers organization, my teammates and the Philly fans for my poor 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.”
The suspension will cost George $11.7 million in salary.
George is averaging 16 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and has had some standout nights, including a 32-point performance against the Bucks last Tuesday. While the 76ers are used to playing without George for stretches this season — he has missed 20 games due to an assortment of injuries — they have been better with him. Philly has a +4.7 net rating with George on the court this season and a -1.9 without him.
This suspension could impact the 76ers at the trade deadline, and not because they might seek to replace some of his scoring punch. Philadelphia was about $7 million into the luxury tax and there have been multiple reports of the team trying to make a trade to reduce or eliminate that tax bill. The 76ers receive a luxury tax credit from the suspension worth half of what George loses, nearly $5.9 million. This leaves the 76ers just $1.3 million into the tax, and it will be much easier to dodge the tax altogether without trading any rotation players.
