© Bill Streicher/Imagn
Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George was suspended 25 games on Saturday after he was found to have violated the NBA’s anti-drug policy. But the suspension could end up proving hugely beneficial to the Sixers in the long run.
Sure, George is undeniably the third-best player on a team starved of depth on the wing. While he’s not the player he once was, the nine-time All-Star is averaging 16 points and 5.2 rebounds per game on 38.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Plus, George is one of the team’s best on-ball defenders.
So, how is it that his suspension could actually be a massive win for the 76ers later in the year? Well, it all comes down to the money.
Paul George’s Suspension Could Help The Philadelphia 76ers Duck The Luxury Tax
The 76ers, who currently sit at 26-21 and sixth place in a bunched-up Eastern Conference, have one of the higher payrolls in the entire NBA.
Because they’re not considered major contenders to win an NBA championship this season, most assume that Philadelphia will do whatever is necessary to avoid going over the $187.9 million luxury tax threshold, which comes with financial penalties that work on an escalating basis if you continue to violate it each year.
That’s where George comes in.
The Philadelphia 76ers will receive significant luxury tax relief from the Paul George drug suspension since it’s by the league. Teams can’t suspend their own players to gain tax relief.
They can now keep a deeper roster and convert Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker sooner. pic.twitter.com/8CPGdl9cDB
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) January 31, 2026
The Sixers are currently right on the cusp of surpassing the luxury tax threshold, and as such, they’ve been very careful with how they’ve used forwards Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker, who are on two-way contracts that would need to be converted to regular contracts if they play 50 games or more.
However, with George out for 25 games, his salary is significantly reduced, giving the 76ers a $5.8 million tax credit. That means they can convert both Barlow and Walker, who have proven useful this season, to one-way contracts sooner and perhaps even have more flexibility at the trade deadline.
All that, plus the fact that Philly figures to get a healthy Paul George back in time for the playoffs, presuming they make it, and this suspension may well prove to be highly beneficial for the Sixers in the long run.