When Daryl Morey formed the trio of Paul George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey last summer, the Sixers were projected to become immediate title contenders. But the reality could not have been further from it. Due to the constant injury woes, the Big Three has played only thirteen games together, and the Philly franchise has fallen to the eleventh spot in the East standings. Moreover, PG and Embiid’s massive contracts might even have put the team’s future in jeopardy.
Well, Joel and George are owed a combined $405 million in salary as per their contracts. Of course, the former MVP inked a three-year $193 million extension last September. Meanwhile, PG joined the Sixers after signing a four-year $212 million max deal. But amid their disappointing performance so far, veteran insider Brian Windhorst pointed out, “Paul George’s contract and Joel Embiid’s contract that’s $500 million between the two of them, those are not tradeable contracts right now.”
Yes, due to their injury prone nature and significant decline in performance, PG and Embiid’s market value has dropped massively and teams are unlikely to acquire their massive contracts in a trade, putting the Sixers in a sticky situation. “They have to make the most of these players. They have to make it better.” Windy added.
Moreover, the Sixers are also at risk of losing their top six protected pick in the upcoming draft. Obviously, Morey made a deal with the OKC Thunder back in 2020, including the protected pick in the Al Horford-Danny Green trade package. And that could come back to haunt them this year. Well, they can only keep the protected pick if they land a top six selection in the lottery. However, the chances of it happening are looking bleak as ESPN’s Malika Andrews remarked, “They’re going to need to make a decision soon because that pick is Top Six protected and that is it. It’s in danger of falling out there.” Adding to the concerns, PG’s health is likely to raise more problems for the Sixers going forward!
NBA Insider reveals Paul George’s Desperate Measures to play through Lingering injuries
Although PG’s numbers have declined significantly since moving to Philly, he looked particularly out of form during last night’s Nets clash. With Joel and Maxey out, he crumbled under pressure and finished with only 2 points on an abysmal one of seven shooting. Turns out, PG was heavily bothered by the multiple injury concerns he has been facing all year, as Shams Charania revealed, “He’s been doing everything he can though to be on the court and be available. I’m told it’s to the point where he has gotten injections to play and compete over the last four or five games.”
Feb 12, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Yes, George dealt with a hyperextension and bone bruise in his knee to start the season. Recently, he has been playing with a tendon damage in his left pinky, making every game an uphill battle for him. And taking injections to ease the pain is something players do come playoff time, not this early in the season. So, Paul’s desperate measures show how much his health has been bothering him. He even addressed it after last night’s loss as he looked forward to the upcoming All-Star Break, “The past couple weeks have been tough on my body. This groin (issue) has just been lingering. The time off should definitely help. Tonight, I didn’t have burst. It was bothering me, but I tried to be available. But this break is definitely needed.”
Meanwhile, Embiid continues to be in and out of the lineup managing his knee injury. Sure enough, this is not a good sign for the Sixers as their chances of making the playoffs are looking bleaker every day. And if they also lose their draft pick amid this abysmal season, there might be no silver lining left to look forward to. What are your thoughts?
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