The Philadelphia 76ers are still waiting for a return on their investment in Paul George.
George is not expected to be ready for Opening Night, Shams Charania of ESPN reported Thursday during an appearance on “NBA Today.” Charania notes that George is making progress though and is expected to debut “shortly into the regular season.”
Now 35 years old, the nine-time NBA All-Star George injured his left knee in mid-July during a workout. George, who already dealt with left knee issues last season, ultimately underwent arthroscopic surgery on the knee.
It is concerning though that George still is not ready over three months now after his surgery. The 76ers begin the regular season on Oct. 22 against the Boston Celtics, and there still is not a clear, concrete timeline for George’s return to play.
George was also plagued by injuries last season, his first in a 76ers uniform. He appeared in just 41 games due to knee and adductor issues and averaged an underwhelming 16.2 points per game on 43/36/81 shooting splits when he was healthy.
Philadelphia made a hefty financial commitment to George last year, giving him a four-year, $211.6 million max contract. George hasn’t been anywhere remotely close to returning that kind of value though, and the 76ers were recently even rumored to be considering trading him.
With George’s 2025-26 season now about to get off to a delayed start as well, that will only add onto the 76ers’ continuing injury concerns. Namely, former MVP center Joel Embiid is uncertain for Opening Night himself and could reportedly have some very unpredictable availability throughout the entire season.