The Philadelphia 76ers season is already going off the rails with them currently 10th in the Eastern Conference and having the seventh-worst record in the NBA. Even as they have gotten healthy, they have struggled to make up ground with several bad losses preventing them from making any headway.
Part of their problem has been the play of nine-time All-Star Paul George. George was expected to be a huge part of their team going forward after he signed a 5-year, $224 million contract over the summer.
Insane stat for Sixers fans:
— Geo (@sixersgeo) February 8, 2025
Since joining the Sixers, Paul George has uploaded more Podcast clips to Youtube (228) Than field goals made (191)
Yes, this is a real statistic pic.twitter.com/CZdALLXmQj
However, his play has been underwhelming, to say the least. He's averaging just 17.3 points per game, down nearly six points from last season with the LA Clippers. His sharp decline has likely been overdue with him playing at a high level even into his thirties.
Unfortunately for the Sixers, they are still in the first season of a 5-year deal, and they were likely hoping to get at least three good years of George before he began to show decline. If he continues to play at a poor level, then his contract will easily be the worst in the NBA given its cost and length.
The Sixers are already having to deal with Joel Embiid and his frequent absences. Now, they may be saddled with another questionable contract. The ironic part is that the Sixers were able to sign George after the expiration of another awful deal.
Former Sixer Tobias Harris had one of the worst contracts in the league during his time with the Sixers, and his deal finally expired over the summer, paving the way for him to sign with the Detroit Pistons and for George to sign with Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia 76ers should have buyer's remorse signing Paul George.
Unfortunately for the Sixers, Harris has actually been better than George this season while making a fraction of what George will make over the life of his new deal. That is all the more painful considering that they could have simply re-signed Harris and been better off.
Now they will have to pay tens of millions to George. All in all, the Sixers may be stuck with George, given that he is on an awful contract for the next four seasons after this one.
The only hope is that George will play better this season and over the majority of his contract. Otherwise, his contract will replace Harris' previous deal with the Sixers as being one of the worst in the NBA.