The Philadelphia 76ers are having an abysmal season and it might be on the verge of getting even worse. Speaking on the Pat McAfee Show, NBA insider Shams Charania revealed the league’s ongoing investigation into the team and the absence of Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George.
“I’m told the Philadelphia 76ers are another team the NBA has started an investigation on and looked into,” Charania said on the Pat McAfee Show (6:13 mark). “Just based on, you’ve had Tyrese Maxey miss time, we know Paul George has missed time.”
The rise of load management led to a controversial trend of teams sitting their star players for nothing but the sake of injury prevention. The league has been cracking down on this trend by verifying injuries and fining teams who are found to be in violation of the policy.
“I think with Philadelphia, it looks a little bit more legitimate, maybe,” said Shams. “Because you think about Tyrese Maxey, he’s been banged up all year. And Paul George, the five games before the All-Star break in February, I’m told Paul George was playing with pain-killing injections.”
The Utah Jazz were the NBA’s most recent team to get fined, and it happened after they were caught shutting down their star forward, Lauri Markkanen, for the season. The price was just $100,000 but it’s a sign that the league is serious about punishing teams for not playing their stars – even those who have nothing left to play for this season.
In Philadelphia, this year’s campaign is essentially over. At 22-43, they are 13th in the standings and five games back from the final play-in spot. After signing Paul George last summer, they are hoping to compete for a title in the East, but they’ve been one of the league’s most disappointing teams all season long.
With their current situation, it’s no surprise that the 76ers have elected to keep their important players out. In their minds, it’s better to play a G-League lineup than to needlessly risk an injury that could slow them down in the 2025-26 campaign.
It started with Joel Embiid, who has only played 19 games this season. He had not been playing like himself, and the 76ers shut him down due to “ongoing issues with his left knee.” He was averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on 44% shooting.
Paul George is another unfortunate case this season. After signing with the 76ers last summer, he was hoping to help them win a title. Instead, George will likely not play again until October to seek treatment for his groin and knee injuries. The 76ers are expected to try to trade him in the offseason.
As the youngest member of the star trio, Tyrese Maxey should be the healthiest one of the bunch. Tonight, he’s set to miss his fourth straight game due to a lower back sprain and finger sprain but there are doubts that he’s actually unable to play.
For a team known to take drastic measures in pursuit of success, it’s not beyond the Sixers to rest their star players this season in order to maximize their chances next year. They know as much as anyone that this campaign is a lost cause, but they don’t mind paying a penalty if it means getting to avoid unnecessary mileage on the big three.
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