Nov 10, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) warms up before action against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Paul George Predicted to be Primary Trade Bait for Sixers Soon

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Mar 22, 2025 12:26 PM ET

Season one of the Paul George era on the Sixers in Philadelphia is in the books a little early. As George deals with multiple setbacks, he was ruled out for the next six weeks, which puts him on the injury report through the rest of the regular season.

Since the Sixers are struggling to fight for a Play-In position, the postseason is unlikely this year. For a team that had championship goals at the start of the 2024-2025 NBA season, the Sixers have been one of the most disappointing teams this year.

George was viewed as the piece that could help get the Sixers to where they wanted to go. Instead, injuries piled up, creating more absences than desired. With the offseason soon approaching, George was recently predicted to be primary trade bait for the 76ers by Bleacher Report.

“George hasn't looked worthy of his $211.6 million max deal, and the Sixers are just in a bad spot,” BR’s Eric Pincus wrote. “

In 41 games, George averaged 16 points on 43 percent shooting from the field. He averaged 6.5 threes per game, shooting at a 36 percent clip. He averaged under 20 points for the first time since his six-game run with the Indiana Pacers in 2014.

George was relatively healthy just a season ago, appearing in 74 games for the Los Angeles Clippers at 33 years old. While that’s a sign he can reach over 65 games played in his 30s, history still suggests George struggles to stay healthy consistently.

Prior to the 2023-2024 season, George failed to play in more than 56 games for four years in a row. Knowing they have availability concerns with Joel Embiid, the Sixers signed George so they could rely on him as a co-star with Tyrese Maxey when Embiid misses stretches. However, George is already struggling to prove he can be relied on in those situations.

The fact that George struggled to produce when on the court was just another red flag. At this point, a potential PG trade after one season on the Sixers has not been suggested. Considering the circumstances, it seems the nine-time All-Star might be a popular potential trade block candidate this summer until the 2025-2026 season arrives.