The Sixers’ $212 million bet on Paul George is looking increasingly risky.

The 2024-25 NBA season is in full swing, and Sixers fans have yet to see Paul George on the court after injuring his knee during a preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks. Of course, injuries are part of the game, but the fact that it happened so quickly should be of some concern.

The Sixers acquired the nine-time All-Star in the offseason when he signed a four-year, $212 million contract as a free agent, allowing him to team with star center Joel Embiid and promising guard Tyrese Maxey to form the team. big three.

Even though Maxey had an outstanding season, the Sixers continued to lack scoring from the wing and were eliminated by the New York Knicks with a 2-5 record in the second round of last year’s NBA Playoffs.

To compete with the Boston Celtics and Knicks in the Eastern Conference, the Sixers needed an additional star player. George’s addition gives the Sixers the advantage of another playmaker, a strong defender on the wing, and also opens up space for Embiid around the low and high post.

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George spent the last few seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, who dealt with numerous injuries to himself and other players. However, the Clippers have made the playoffs four times during his tenure, including their first trip to the Conference Finals in 2021. He averaged 23 points, six rebounds and four-and-a-half assists in 263 games with the Clippers.

While his on-court numbers weren’t much of a concern, his off-court numbers should have been cause for concern. George played 48 games in 2019-20 due to shoulder and hamstring injuries in his first season with the Clippers.

Ankle and foot problems limited him to 54 games in 2020-21, followed by an elbow injury that limited him to 31 games in 2021-22, and finally a knee sprain that sidelined him. was unable to appear in 56 games during the 2022–23 season. George played 72 games in 2023-24, the most of any season he played in Los Angeles.

George’s availability wasn’t shocking during his final season in Los Angeles, especially if he was looking to get a lucrative contract.

Please make no mistake: When healthy, George can put up impressive offensive numbers, but the Sixers have to question the reliability of his health. Are the Sixers really desperate for a championship to invest big money on a player with such an extensive injury history, especially when Joel Embiid is just as fragile?

Whether these investments will be profitable is a matter of time. Four games into the season, the Sixers are closely monitoring George’s injuries on a daily basis but have not yet announced when he will play.