For a franchise that has not been afraid at the slightest when pulling of the most boisterous moves made possible by the market, the Philadelphia 76ers certainly surprised a lot of people upon reports of the team adopting a major attitudinal shift.
According to reports, the 76ers have not taken any step to indicate any openness to a Paul George trade — a rather shocking development after the kind of season the former All-Star had in his first go-round with the franchise.
For now, it seems like the squad is content with riding its current nucleus, while adding a huge piece to the puzzle as they own the third overall pick in the jampacked 2025 NBA Draft class. Yet despite their great footing with such a lofty selection, the George news should perhaps be given more attention, especially in light of what the All-Star himself unveiled just recently.
Unreported Paul George injury should be enough for the 76ers to seek a resolution
The 76ers exercising more prudence and patience than usual with the George situation is probably warranted when taking into account the indubitable fact that he never really got a fair shake with the team just yet due to the litany of injuries he encountered this season.
However, aside from the documented knee injuries he incurred due to hyperextension on two, separate occasions, George bared that he also played this season while dealing with a torn adductor — something completely novel to everyone.
Adductor muscles are critical for the functioning of the lower body, and this injury is definitely not a good look for George, who is already 35 years old and touts a ton of mileage on his body. Torn adductors are often tricky and prone to recurrence, and moving forward, the 76ers will have to exercise even more caution than initially expected when it comes to the nine-time All-Star.
Aside from this casting a cloud on George’s road to playing like his usual self again, this only reinforces the argument against the 76ers taking a passive stance with George. At this juncture, it is incumbent on the franchise to seek an urgent release from the forward — and shutting the door on that idea only invites even more risks, if not outright disappointments.
With the offseason not even commencing yet, there is still a ton of time for the Philadelphia 76ers to overturn what has been echoed in league circles and do more than just mere due diligence with Paul George. Hopefully, they come to their senses and realize that they should not forego any opportunity to reverse their huge mistake.