Philadelphia 76ers Trade Rumors: Paul George Will Not Be Moved This Offseason

Philadelphia 76ers fans hoping the franchise will trade Paul George and his four-year, $212 million contract will be in for a rude awakening this offseason. A new report reveals the Sixers won’t be making an effort to trade the 35-year-old forward this summer.

Paul George’s Multi-Year Contract Includes 15% Trade Bonus

NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported that Philadelphia’s front office has no plans to trade George one season into his multi-year deal.

George is slated to make $51.66 million in 2025-26, then $54.12 million in 2026-27. His deal also includes a $56.58 million player option for 2027-28 and a 15% trade bonus.

“Recent reports suggesting that the Sixers will be looking to explore George’s trade market in conjunction with the draft are a misread. There have been no indications that they are looking to package George with the No. 3 pick or try to move him on his own,” Fischer wrote.

The 76ers signed George during the 2024 offseason to form a “Big Three” alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

However, he played in just 41 games due to multiple injuries and averaged just 16.2 points per game, his lowest season average since his sophomore year in the league with the Indiana Pacers.

76ers’ Big Three Missed 134 Games Combined This Season

Meanwhile, Embiid played in just 19 games due to a left knee injury, while Maxey missed 30 games due to hamstring, hand, and finger injuries. In total, the “Big Three” missed 134 games combined.

To make matters worse, Embiid signed a three-year, $192.9 million contract extension last September that guarantees the former MVP a total of $299.5 million through the 2028-29 season.

Embiid also declined his $59 million player option for the 2026-27 season prior to inking the new contract extension. He will earn $69 million in the final year of the new deal.

As for Maxey, he inked a five-year, $204 million maximum contract extension last July.

Philadelphia Led NBA With $164.21 Million Player Salaries Sidelined

The 76ers led the NBA this season with $164.21 million worth of player salaries sidelined — that’s approximately 88.58% of the organization’s payroll, according to HoopsHype.

If George is off limits for a trade, maybe the Sixers could try moving Embiid. As great as Embiid is when healthy, now is the time for Philadelphia to go in a different direction.

Some Sixers fans have been saying it for years, but this could be the perfect offseason to trade him. Better late than never, right?

The 76ers haven’t won an NBA championship since 1983, they haven’t reached the NBA Finals since 2001, and the franchise hasn’t advanced beyond the second round since the Allen Iverson days.

We’re all familiar with this particular quote: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”