According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George just underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. It’s an update that continues a string of disastrous news for the organization, as it was just recently reported that Joel Embiid has yet to begin full on-court work this summer amidst his recovery process. Philadelphia will be hoping for a bounce-back season next year, but this is a terrible start to that plan.
“Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure on his left knee Monday to treat an injury suffered during a recent workout, a team official tells ESPN,” Charania wrote on Twitter. “George will now begin a rehab program and be re-evaluated prior to start of training camp.”
Two of the Sixers’ top stars could be going into next year hobbled.
Where does Paul George news leave the 76ers?
Charania’s reporting cannot be misconstrued, either. He didn’t say that George is expected to be back by the start of training camp. Instead, he simply stated that the 76ers star will be re-evaluated around that time.
Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure on his left knee Monday to treat an injury suffered during a recent workout, a team official tells ESPN. George will now begin a rehab program and be re-evaluated prior to start of training camp. pic.twitter.com/cMX6uANlmY
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 14, 2025
That means there’s a real chance that George won’t be ready to go for the start of training camp, which would put the team in a terrible position heading into a year where they will almost certainly be gunning for a deep playoff run.
George’s debut season in Philadelphia last year was a disaster. He only appeared in 41 games, largely due to injuries, and when he was on the court, he wasn’t the player 76ers fans were hoping to get when the team signed hi.
In the games he did appear in, George only played 32.5 minutes per contest—his lowest mark since the 2019-20 season. He also only averaged 16.2 points, which is the fewest he’s averaged since his second season in the NBA back in the 2011-12 season (excluding his six-game 2014-15 campaign, which was ended by injury).
What happened to Joel Embiid?
The George news comes not long after it was revealed that Embiid has yet to get back to full on-court work amidst his recovery process. Tony Jones of The Athletic reported as much on July 12.
“It’s been almost a year and a half since the knee injury he suffered at Golden State derailed him for most of the 2024-25 season, and Morey says Embiid is “on track” to be healthy for training camp, the start of the preseason and the start of the regular season,” Jones wrote. “League sources tell The Athletic that Embiid still hasn’t returned to full on-court basketball activities. He has resumed partial basketball activities, according to the league sources. In light of this, Morey and the front office remain optimistic that Embiid will be on the floor for the season opener.”
If the 76ers have to start training camp without George and Embiid at full strength, it would set the tone for another disastrous season.