The Sixers should be in no rush to salary-dump Paul George

On Wednesday, the Atlanta Hawks effectively salary-dumped Trae Young by trading him to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum's expiring contract and Corey Kispert. It was an ignominious end for the four-time All-Star, who led the Hawks on a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 but hasn't won a playoff series since then.

That's an underwhelming return for a guard who just averaged 24.2 points and a league-high 11.6 assists per game last season, but the NBA's second-apron era has changed how teams value certain stars. Although Young was an offensive floor-raiser throughout his tenure in Atlanta, he was such a glaring liability on the other end of the floor that he ruined the Hawks' chances of cobbling together an above-average defense.

Young has a $49.0 million player option for the 2026-27 season, and multiple reports prior to the trade suggested he would likely pick it up because of the uncertainty awaiting him in free agency this offseason. He was a no-brainer max-contract player a few years ago, but that no longer appears to be the case.

The same arguably applies to Paul George, whom the Sixers signed to a four-year, $211.6 million max contract as a free agent in 2024. They handed him that deal knowing it could age poorly on the back end, but they figured to get at least a year or two of legitimate championship contention before the bottom fell out. They didn't anticipate the relentless tidal wave of injuries that effectively wiped out their 2024-25 campaign, though.

Both George and the Sixers have been better this season, although he's still coming nowhere close to returning positive value on his $51.7 million salary. Nearly halfway through the season, he's averaging only 16.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 made three-pointers in 29.9 minutes per game. Among all players earning $50-plus million this season, he's averaging the fewest points per game by far.

George is owed a guaranteed $54.1 million in 2026-27, and he has a $56.6 million player option in 2027-28—his age-37 season—that he might as well already pick up. With Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey also signed to long-term max deals, the Sixers will have to manage a tightrope walk to avoid crossing the aprons for the next few years. However, they should resist the temptation to follow in Atlanta's footsteps and pursue a George salary-dump ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, at least for now.

The Sixers shouldn't be giving up assets right now

Given George's age, current production and the remaining length of his contract, the Sixers might not be able to find a team willing to take him on without additional compensation. That's a bridge that they shouldn't be open to crossing for the time being.

Although George is overpaid, he proved his value to the Sixers during Friday's road victory over the Orlando Magic. He finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and a team-high two blocks in 33 minutes, and he helped ice the game away in the fourth quarter with both Embiid and Maxey catching a breather.

Those types of takeovers have been few and far between this season, but that's partially by design. George knows the Sixers' offense largely flows through Embiid and Maxey, and he appears to be at peace with it. He's busy trying to find other ways to make an impact.

Paul George with a professional answer on his role.

"Joel, Tyrese are our two engines. Those guys are going to, rightfully so, demand attention. Demand the ball in moments to score and I gotta fit in...More than anything, defensively I know I can still be elite." pic.twitter.com/CeJeTCNNcB
— PHLY Sixers (@PHLY_Sixers) January 8, 2026

To George's credit, he ranks in the 93rd percentile leaguewide in estimated defensive plus/minus, according to Dunks and Threes. Even in his injury-ravaged 2024-25 campaign, it was clear how much of an upgrade he was on that end of the floor compared to his predecessor, Tobias Harris. George may not be a lockdown wing anymore, but his length and basketball IQ help him wreak defensive havoc, particularly when he's off the ball.

George may not be averaging 28-8-4 like he did during his prime with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the Sixers don't need him to most nights. Maxey and Embiid do shoulder a majority of the offensive burden, while VJ Edgecombe has immediately asserted himself as a difference-making rookie. The Sixers just need George to knock down open shots on offense—particularly if Embiid and/or Maxey are drawing double-teams—and keep their offense afloat for the few minutes per game where he isn't sharing the floor with either one. Beyond that, his primary value comes on defense.

As George gets closer to the end of his contract, his production is likely to further wane, which could send his trade value plummeting even more. However, teams might be more willing to take on his contract with only one or two years remaining rather than three. The Sixers should remain fiercely protective of their assets—particularly the 2028 unprotected first-round pick that the Los Angeles Clippers owe them—with an eye on building around Maxey and Edgecombe. Salary-dumping George wouldn't help them either short- or long-term.

Even if the Sixers did find a taker for George and flipped him for nothing but expiring contracts, they still likely wouldn't be in position for significant cap space anytime soon. Embiid and Maxey are projected to earn nearly $99 million just between the two of them next season, and the salary cap is currently projected to be around $166 million. They'd have to dump George for only expiring contracts and allow all three of Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond to walk in free agency this offseason to have major spending power. At that point, the juice wouldn't be worth the squeeze.

George might not finish his contract out with the Sixers, as he could have value in two years as an expiring deal. If the Sixers are willing to flip him for longer-term salary, other teams might value the additional financial flexibility enough to not demand additional compensation. That isn't likely to be the case now, though. And as the Sixers look ahead to the Maxey-Edgecombe era, they should be hoarding as many assets as possible.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

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