Paul George out of Philadelphia 76ers? Star forward hit with costly 25-game suspension over alleged anti-drug policy violation

The NBA announced today that forward Paul George of the Philadelphia 76ers would serve a 25-game unpaid suspension. He reportedly breached the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program. The 76ers vs. the New Orleans Pelicans game at Xfinity Mobile Arena will mark the start of George's suspension.Additionally, he will lose around $11.7 million of his $51.7 million salary due to the ban, or roughly $469,691.72 for each of the 25 games he misses. Moreover, as part of George's suspension, Philadelphia will avoid paying more than $5 million in luxury taxes, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.The Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George recently received a 25-game suspension from the NBA on Saturday for breaking the league's anti-drug policy. The NBA did not reveal the type of infraction or the substance involved, though. According to the guidelines of the NBA Players Association agreement, George's 25-game suspension suggests that this was his first infraction. Meanwhile, in a statement to ESPN, he claimed that he took "improper medication" by mistake to treat his mental illness. As per Shams Charania of ESPN, George said:"Over the past few years, I've discussed the importance of mental health, and in the course of recently seeking treatment for an issue of my own, I made the mistake of taking an improper medication..”He continued:"I take full responsibility for my actions and apologize to the Sixers organization, my teammates and the Philly fans for my poor decision making during this process. I am focused on using this time to make sure that my mind and body are in the best condition to help the team when I return."George's suspension will start on Saturday night. The 76ers will have ten regular-season games left when he is eligible to return, which is on March 25 at home against the Chicago Bulls.In 17 games this season, George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey, have played 365 minutes together, outscoring opponents by more than 7 points per 100 possessions. Embiid told reporters following Thursday's victory over Sacramento:"Obviously, we've been ducking the tax the last couple of years, so hopefully we keep the same team… I love all the guys that are here. I think we got a shot. I don't know what they're going to do, but I hope that at least we got a chance to just go out and compete because we got a good group of guys in this locker room, and the vibes are great."For the 76ers, who are presently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, George has averaged 16 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 27 games this season. With him scoring 32 points in Tuesday's victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia has won back-to-back games. In 2024, George agreed to a four-year, $212 million contract to join the 76ers as a free agent. Due to a knee injury, he was only able to play in 41 games the previous season and missed the beginning of the 2025 campaign. Meanwhile, he can still make a comeback for the last 10 games of the regular season, starting on March 25 against the Chicago Bulls.