The NBA announced on January 31, 2026, that Paul George, the Philadelphia 76ers’ main forward, will be suspended for 25 games for breaking the league’s anti-drug policy. This is the first time the team has broken the NBA-NBPA agreement, which is a big blow to their chances of making the playoffs.
The ban starts right away, so George can come back on March 25, 2026, against the Chicago Bulls, with only 10 regular-season games left. Before the 2024 season, George signed a four-year, $212 million deal, but he has had a lot of injuries this year and only averaged 16.2 points in 41 games, which is the lowest full-season output since the beginning of his career. George said in a statement that he was fully responsible and that he had mental health issues. He also said that he had taken something “improper.”
The Philadelphia Eagles are 26-21 and have the No. 6 seed in the East, one game ahead of Orlando and Miami. The Sixers are 16-11 with George and 10-10 without him. They depend a lot on Joel Embiid’s dominance, Tyrese Maxey’s All-Star play, and rookie V.J. Edgecombe’s breakout. Coach Nick Nurse stressed the importance of team unity, saying that George is still a “great teammate” even though the “gut punch” is coming up on February 5.
Embiid is dealing with knee problems and load management, so George’s absence makes things riskier, especially on their West Coast road trip that starts against the Clippers. The suspension could change how teams make roster moves, putting their depth to the test in a close race in the Eastern Conference.
