Sixers veteran forward Paul George has been suspended without pay for 25 games for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program, the league announced (Twitter link). George’s suspension will begin with tonight’s game against the Pelicans.
George won’t be eligible to play until Philadelphia’s last 10 games. His earliest return date is March 25 against Chicago.
The suspension will have a huge impact in a variety of ways, most obviously on the Sixers’ drive to finish in the top six in the East and stay out of the play-in tournament. They’re currently 26-21, sixth best in the East. In 27 games this season, he’s averaging 16 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
A statement from George to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link), George claimed that he took an “improper medication” to deal with his mental health issues.
“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,” the statement read. “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 $11,742,293, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. The Sixers will receive a tax variance credit of $5,871,147. George will be moved from the active to suspended list after the fifth game. From that point, they can sign an additional player for the remainder of his supension.
Another offshoot of the suspension is that Philadelphia is now just $1.26MM over the luxury tax, Marks adds (Twitter link). That would give the Sixers even more reason to shed a little salary to avoid the tax.
As cap expert Yossi Gozlan points out (Twitter link), the Sixers were likely looking at trading a player like Kelly Oubre Jr. or Quentin Grimes to convert productive two-way players Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker to standard contracts while ducking the luxury tax. Now, the path to accomplishing those goals is simpler.
The Sixers signed George to a max four-year contract in the summer of 2024 but it hasn’t gone well. George spent most of last season dealing with injuries and the Sixers have tried to manage his persistent knee issues with load management this season.
