Paul George Says 76ers Can Compete for Future NBA Titles After 1 of 'Toughest Seasons'
The Philadelphia 76ers have already been eliminated from playoff contention, despite a talented roster featuring Paul George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Still, George believes the team has the pieces to contend for a championship in the future.
"I do think so," George said prior to the 76ers final regular season game on Sunday, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps. "I think with the personnel we have, I think with finding young talent [to help us]. … I think we can be a team in the future that can compete for a championship."
The 2024–26 76ers finished with a 24-58 record, marking the worst season of Paul George's career when active in 10 or more games (15-26). The finish also ties for the seventh-worst in franchise history, matching the 1994–95 team's record.
"Yeah, it was just, to be honest, one of the toughest seasons for me," George continued, per Bontemps. "Just with a lot of adversity on the court, off the court and, then again, the injury stuff was some stuff that I didn't necessarily know I had going on … which was frustrating."
The nine-time All-Star averaged 16.2 points per game—his fourth-lowest mark in 15 seasons and his worst in a decade. He also posted his sixth-worst field goal percentage (43 percent) and third-worst three-point percentage (36 percent).
Prior to the season, George signed a four-year, $211.6 million contract with the 76ers, earning an annual salary of $49.205 million as the second-highest paid player on the team, behind Joel Embiid.
In addition to his on-court struggles and limited impact, the 34-year-old battled injuries for much of the season. He was officially sidelined for the remainder of the year on March 17 after receiving injections in his left adductor muscle and left knee.
Despite their subpar season, 24-year-old Maxey ended on a positive note.
"The one positive that I do take away is the only way we can go from here is up," Maxey said, per Bontemps.
