Looking back on the 2-year Paul George era with the Philadelphia 76ers

To quote the great Nick Fury from “The Avengers”, “There was an idea…”

For the Philadelphia 76ers, that idea was to bring in 9-time All-Star Paul George and have him team up with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. They signed him to a 4-year $212 million deal in the 2024 offseason, signed Maxey long term, and also extended Embiid with the idea that Philadelphia would be contending for titles with those three leading the way.

Instead, that idea never came to fruition. George was limited to just 41 games in his first season in Philadelphia and his offensive numbers dropped dramatically compared to his final All-Star season with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2024. His shot attempts at the rim dropped. His shot attempts in the mid-range rose and it was obvious that injuries and Father Time were beginning to get to the star forward.

Then came his second season in Philadelphia. He missed the first 12 games of the year as he was recovering from an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee, but as he continued to play, he was beginning to round into form. There were signs that George was going to be able to fulfill the hopes that he and the Sixers had for him when he signed, but then, there was the suspension.

Following a win over the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 29, George was found in violation of the league’s anti-drug policy. He was suspended 25 games as there was another big stretch where he was missing games for the Sixers.

Paul George as a 76er:

22 — games with 20+ PTS
25 — games suspended

End of an error. pic.twitter.com/4rNFNkhpY4

— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 1, 2026

To his credit, when George was healthy, he was good. Like, really good. Let’s not pretend like he wasn’t a huge part of Philadelphia rallying from the 3-1 deficit in Round 1 to beat the Boston Celtics when he had to slow down both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown while also having to provide much-needed offense. He had a very good playoff run for Philadelphia.

Alas, the Sixers ending the George era by sending him to the Celtics to get Brown is one fantastic move for this group. He’s 36 while Brown won’t turn 30 until late October. The Sixers getting off his contract while also being able to get a guy like Brown turned this into a huge win for Philadelphia. George was a great mentor for youngster VJ Edgecombe, and was well-liked and well-respected in the locker room, but his production on the floor wasn’t the same. It’s a big win for Philadelphia.

As Nick Fury said, “There was an idea”, but the idea was never able to come to fruition.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Looking back on the 2-year Paul George era with the Philadelphia 76ers