The Philadelphia 76ers entered this season believing they had assembled a contender. Joel Embiid, fresh off his MVP campaign, was primed to dominate. Paul George, a marquee free-agent signing, was expected to provide the firepower Philly needed to chase a championship.
Instead, they’ve landed in the worst possible spot-too injured to compete but too expensive to rebuild without making tough choices.
George is officially out for the rest of the season after undergoing an injection procedure to treat lingering issues in his left adductor and knee. He appeared in just 41 games and averaged a career-low 16.2 points per contest. For a player on a $212 million contract, that’s a brutal return on investment.
What happens when the bet goes bad?
The Sixers’ record sits at 23-44, putting them well outside the playoff picture. With George and Embiid both sidelined, the team’s best strategy might be leaning into the draft lottery. Their first-round pick is top-six protected, meaning missing the playoffs could actually be the best long-term play.
The problem? This wasn’t supposed to be a rebuilding year. The front office, led by Daryl Morey, went all-in on George, trusting analytics and AI-driven projections to shape the roster. That strategy backfired. Injuries weren’t factored in, and now Philly is left scrambling for answers.
Morey recently admitted that the team’s decision-making relied on predictive models-raising eyebrows about how much actual basketball intuition was involved in assembling this group.
Can the Sixers move on from George?
Trading George won’t be easy. His contract is massive, and after a season riddled with injuries, his market value has dropped. Still, teams desperate for a veteran star might take a swing. The Sixers, meanwhile, would love to shed salary and retool around Embiid-assuming he’s still the future.
Philadelphia has options, but none are easy. Keeping George means hoping next year is different. Moving him means finding a trade partner willing to absorb risk. Either way, this offseason is shaping up to be one of the most important in recent team history.
For now, the Sixers’ seasonis effectively over. What comes next could determine whether this was just a bad year-or the start of something even worse.
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