January 31, 2026
Sixers forward Paul George has been suspended for 25 games for violating the NBA’s Anti-Drug Policy, the league announced on Saturday morning.
“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,” George said in a statement to ESPN’s Shams Charania. “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.”
George, who is in the second season of a four-year contract worth well over $200 million, will lose over $11.7 million in earnings, and the Sixers will receive a luxury tax credit of $5,871,147. Suddenly, instead of being over $7 million above the tax threshold heading into Thursday’s trade deadline, the Sixers are about $1.3 million over the line.
While missing George for 25 games will be a brutal blow to the Sixers’ rotation — his suspension will begin with Saturday’s home game against the New Orleans Pelicans and conclude after a March 23 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, setting up a March 25 return — it will also give the team significant financial relief, as maneuvering below the tax line will now require just one or two marginal moves. Previously, the Sixers would have likely needed to trade someone like Kelly Oubre Jr., whose $8.3 million expiring salary will no longer be needed to be dumped to get under the tax.
