The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to get a major boost on Monday night before facing the Los Angeles Clippers.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Sixers are expected to have Paul George in the mix. When the team released its initial injury report on Sunday night, George was upgraded to questionable for the first time this season. He appears to have cleared all hurdles to return to action and make his 2025-2026 season debut.
Over the offseason, George was recovering from multiple setbacks he suffered throughout the 2024-2025 NBA season. In addition to the in-season setbacks he battled through last year, George had a minor procedure on his knee, which pushed his recovery timeline back.
When the Sixers prepared to enter training camp, George made it clear he wasn't going to participate in the beginning. He ended up missing the entire preseason and the first stretch of regular-season games.
Last week, the Sixers started kicking around the idea of having George back in the mix soon. When the team prepared for its home game against the Boston Celtics, an official statement revealed that the veteran forward was in the final stage of his recovery. The Sixers anticipated a re-evaluation soon, which eventually led to them upgrading his status on the injury report at the top of this week.
Last year, George left the Clippers for the first time in years to play for Philadelphia. His season debut was delayed due to a knee injury, and he managed to play in only 41 games.
Throughout the year, George averaged 32.5 minutes of action. He produced 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, while shooting 43 percent from the field and 35 percent from three, taking 6.5 threes per game.
Coming off a disappointing season where the Sixers missed the playoffs, Philadelphia is off to a 7-5 start this year. George enters the lineup as the Sixers have started dealing with other setbacks to some key players, such as Kelly Oubre and Joel Embiid.
The Sixers and the Clippers are slated for a 7 PM ET tip on Monday night.
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