Hindsight is always 20/20. At the time of the signing, the Philadelphia 76ers appeared to be the clear winners of the offseason after landing 9-time All-Star Paul George on a 4-year $212 million deal. He was expected to join Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to form a formidable Big 3 in the Eastern Conference.
Instead, injuries decimated the roster. George played only 41 games in his first season with the Sixers as he battled through multiple knee injuries, an adductor issue, and a finger issue as well. He just recently underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his bothersome left knee after an offseason workout. As time moves on, the Sixers hope George can get back to the player everybody knows he can be.
ESPN regraded the 2024 offseason moves. After giving the Sixers an “A” for the move in 2024, in 2025, the move has received a “D”:
George’s 16.2 points average was his worst in a full season since his second season in 2011-12. And George’s average 3-point shooting (36%) raised questions about his ability to transition to a more complementary role on offense. After playing only 41 games in his first season with the Sixers, George will spend this summer rehabbing after undergoing knee surgery last week.
There’s still time for George to be a productive part of a competitive Philadelphia team, particularly if his accuracy from 3 bounces back after he shot 41% in 2023-24 with the Clippers. Still, given George’s age (35), it was always evident that the back half of a max contract might not be a good value. Not getting All-Star production in the first year makes it all but impossible for the 76ers to win that bet.
Everybody knows how talented George is. One has to believe the Sixers will get a much better version of him in the 2025-26 season after undergoing this latest procedure to fully fix his health issues. Philadelphia is certainly baking on it as it moves forward with its plan to bounce back.