76ers' Paul George suspended 25 games for violating NBA's anti-drug policy: 'I take full responsibility'

The NBA has suspended Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George 25 games for violating terms of the league's anti-drug policy, it announced Saturday. The first game of George's suspension will be Saturday's contest with the New Orleans Pelicans.

George, 35, said in a statement to ESPN he mistakenly took "improper medication" to combat mental health.

"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," George said. "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 is averaging 16 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 27 games this season for the 76ers, who currently are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference at 26-21 overall. Philadelphia has won back-to-back games, including a 32-point effort from George in Tuesday's victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. He is eligible to return for the final 10 games of the regular season, beginning March 25 against the Chicago Bulls.

George signed a four-year, $212 million contract to join the 76ers in free agency in 2024 to pair with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. George was limited to only 41 games last season and missed the start of the 2025 season as he returned from a knee injury. 

Impact on 76ers, Eastern Conference playoff race

The 76ers have been one of the pleasant surprises in the East this year and currently occupy the last guaranteed playoff spot, leading the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat by one game for the No. 6 seed. Losing George for this important stretch run will test the Sixers' depth and shift more of the scoring burden onto Maxey and Embiid -- who has returned to dominant form recently. 

Offensively they have the personnel -- particularly when Embiid and Maxey are on the court -- to remain a strong unit without George, but the bigger concern is on the defensive end. The Sixers' defensive rating with George on the floor is a robust 110.1 and dips fairly dramatically to a 114.9 when he's off the court. Even though George is third on the team in scoring, it's his versatility as a defender that will be toughest for Philadelphia to replace. 

If there's a positive as Philadelphia gets set to navigate a 25-game stretch without a key player, it's that the Sixers have plenty of experience playing without George this season. 

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He's appeared in just 27 of 47 games, so the team should know exactly how Nick Nurse will adapt the rotation for a prolonged absence from George. Dominick Barlow figures to slot in as the starting power forward for the foreseeable future and the likes of Jabari Walker and Trendon Watford will see some increased minutes off of the bench. 

While the Sixers can keep themselves above water without George, it does take away from their ability to navigate any other absences from key players. Even as he's started to regain his top form, the Sixers are still managing Joel Embiid's knee and holding him out on back-to-backs. They've lost the last four games the former MVP has had to sit out, and without George they will struggle even more in games without Embiid. 

Holding onto the No. 6 seed will be a challenge with the Heat and Magic close on their heels. That said, with the way Maxey has been performing all year, Embiid's recent dominance and V.J. Edgecombe's emergence as a one of the best rookies in the league, the Sixers can certainly navigate this stretch without George and maintain that position, provided they have good health from the rest of their roster.