Ahead of their game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night, the Philadelphia 76ers received some unfortunate news regarding veteran forward Paul George. The NBA announced that George was suspended for 25 games without pay for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.

George, who is in his second year with the Sixers, sent a statement to ESPN’s Shams Charania about his suspension.

“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. 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.”

The 35-year-old George will be eligible to return to the floor on Mar. 25 against the Chicago Bulls. At that point, the Sixers will only have 10 games left in the regular season. The suspension will also be costly for George, who will lose $11.7 million of the $51.7 million he’s getting this season.

Before the league handed down its suspension, the veteran wing was averaging 16 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game across 27 contests. George was also shooting 42.4% from the field and 38.2% from beyond the arc.

It won’t be easy for the Sixers to replace George, who owns a 114 DRtg, on both ends of the floor. However, this is a prime opportunity for guys like Kelly Oubre, Quentin Grimes, Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker, and Justin Edwards to all step up.

Here’s more on the Sixers as they embark on their five-game West Coast road trip:

Jared McCain is quietly finding his groove again

Former first-round pick Jared McCain has had an up-and-down start to his sophomore campaign. The second-year guard didn’t make his 2025-26 debut until Nov. 4 due to a right thumb injury he suffered in September.

However, when McCain returned to the floor, he struggled to find his shot. The former Duke standout shot 38.2% from beyond the arc in November, but 28.3% in December. The Sixers eventually sent McCain down to the NBA G League a couple of times to play with the Delaware Blue Coats to see if he could get back on track.

McCain’s shooting woes continued into most of January, but things finally started to click for him over the past week. The 6-foot-3 combo guard is averaging 12.3 points per game on an efficient 56.3% shooting from the field and 59.1% from deep in his last four games.

During this four-game stretch, McCain has made at least four three-pointers three times, which is a good sign heading into the West Coast road trip. The last time McCain had a stretch like this was during his rookie season between Nov. 12-18, 2024. He scored 26.5 points per game on 45.2% shooting from distance and averaged 4.8 threes made on 10.5 attempts per game.

The Sixers will hope for McCain to continue his hot shooting against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.

Joel Embiid among snubs for 2026 NBA All-Star Game

On Sunday evening, the NBA announced the reserves for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, which will be held in Los Angeles, California, at the Intuit Dome on February 15. Sixers fans hoped that Embiid would be one of the seven reserves for the Eastern Conference, but that was not the case.

Jalen Duren, Karl-Anthony Towns, Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, and Jalen Johnson were the chosen frontcourt players. If you’ve been following the NBA this season, most will not complain about Duren, Barnes, and Johnson, who have played at an incredible level for their respective teams.

However, when it comes to Towns, best believe some Sixers fans believe Embiid should’ve gotten in over him. This season for the New York Knicks, Towns is averaging 20.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists across 45 games.

As for Embiid, the seven-time All-Star has played in fewer games (28) than Towns. But the veteran center is also averaging 26.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game, which is hard to ignore.

That said, there’s still a chance Embiid could get into the All-Star Game, as the NBA will have to find an injury replacement for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, per Marc Stein.

This year’s NBA All-Star Game is being played in a USA vs. World format, requiring a minimum of eight international players. The World All-Stars currently have eight players, but with Antetokounmpo injured, the league will need to figure out who else will be on that side.