Sixers Star Paul George Named as Trade Target for Phoenix Suns

When the Philadelphia 76ers first signed Paul George, he was viewed as the final piece to help the franchise fulfill its championship aspirations. Following an injury-ridden season that has caused them to fall way short of expectations, some have already started to wonder if it's time for the team to think about trades.

George battled multiple ailments throughout the season, causing a dip in production. His first year in Philly came to an early end on Monday, as the team announced the former All-Star will miss the rest of the season after getting injections to address his injured groin. George appeared in 41 total games, averaging 16.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 4.3 APG in that time.

Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George received injections in his left adductor muscle and left knee on Monday and has been ruled out for the rest of the season, sources tell ESPN. George is expected to be out at least six weeks. pic.twitter.com/TKVvBROp5E
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 17, 2025

Even though the offseason is still months away, the people at Bleacher Report put together an early list of potential trade candidates for each NBA team. The Sixers star ended up making an appearance as someone the Phoenix Suns could go after this summer.

The path forward could include trading Durant if he pushes out instead of extending it. The return could be something like Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz in a multi-team trade or possibly taking on young players for a more sustained retool via the Houston Rockets. Another potential option could include taking on Paul George's larger deal for Bradley Beal, assuming Beal is willing to go (his no-trade clause holds significant power).

Even though things didn't pan out how they might have hoped, the Sixers shouldn't be looking to make a drastic move like this just yet. Due to injuries up and down the roster, the trio of PG, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey didn't get to play an extended stretch together.

Last offseason, the Sixers committed a lot of money to this trio of All-Stars. In light of this, they shouldn't think about breaking them up until they have a good idea of how they operate together, especially in a situation like this, where they'd be taking on another high-price, injury-prone star in Bradley Beal.

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