The Philadelphia 76ers — and the rest of the NBA — were shocked to the core when it was reported that the league was suspending Paul George for 25 games for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy. The news broke shortly before the team took on the Pelicans on Saturday night. The decision divided many on the topic, although people around the team stood by the former All-Star.
However, unbeknownst to many, the 76ers are actually now poised to receive a hidden benefit in view of PG’s suspension. As laid out by ESPN’s Bobby Marks in this post, With George set to lose around $11.7 million due to the game he will be missing, Philly will consequently receive a luxury tax credit amounting to half of that figure, or around $5.8 million approximately.
As such, the 76ers front office can make full use of this sudden cap-related leeway to pull off some necessary moves between now and George’s return. And with the trade deadline coming in a few days, the pathways for them to improve the roster are only going to become even clearer.
The 76ers receive a hidden benefit from Paul George’s suspension
One of the biggest perks of this financial allowance is the fact that the 76ers will now have a much easier time converting Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker’s deals into standard NBA contracts. Both players, especially Barlow, have proven to be easily worth regular roster spots with their steady play, and it is now imperative for the front office to do whatever it takes to free up the necessary room to keep them in the fold.
The 76ers have been ducking the tax in recent years, and while Joel Embiid is definitely not a fan of that disposition, the front office will be able to do exactly that this time around thanks to this sudden development.
The front office was probably considering parting with one rotation player or two in order to sign Barlow and Walker to standard deals, but now, they will no longer need to resort to such a concession. Having said that, the 76ers still have to cut ties with someone like, say, Eric Gordon to the end that they can open up a required roster spot.
Of course, George’s absence could not have come at a worse time for the 76ers, which are being plagued by their lack of consistency. However, thanks to the attendant financial leeway that had suddenly dawned upon them, there is at least a silver lining to take away from this unceremonious development.