The Philadelphia 76ers’ season may have come to an end, but that hasn’t stopped Paul George from beginning to plan for the Sixers’ 2025-26 campaign.
The All-Star forward recently told Keith Pompy of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he’s planning on meeting up with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid over the summer. George wants to ensure the Sixers’ big three are ready to hit the ground running later this year.
“I think that’s very important,” George said. “We’ve already talked about seeing each other, where we’re going to be this summer. So we’ve already had those conversations about connecting once the season’s over. I think it’s very important. I don’t think it’s healthy to go two, three months before seeing each other, regardless of if we’re checking in over the phone. It’s just different seeing each other.”
All three of George, Embiid and Maxey disappointed this past season. And all of them ended the campaign on the injury report. As such, the trio of All-Star talents must prove they’re capable of leading Philadelphia toward a championship. Working together this summer should help put the franchise on good footing for when the new season gets underway.
Paul George Admits Debut Season Was Frustrating
During a separate interview with Pompey, George discussed his frustrations with his slow start to life in the City of Brotherly Love.
“To be honest, it was one of the toughest seasons for me. Just with a lot of adversity on the court, off the court,” George said. “The injury stuff … was some stuff I didn’t necessarily know I had going on until deep diving and finding out. There was other stuff I didn’t know that was causing my limitations, which was frustrating — not being able to do things I normally could do, and finding out the reason why. Those things are being addressed, so that’s the positive.”
George was acquired to help put the Sixers over the top. With him, Nick Nurse had an elite forward capable of carrying a significant scoring load while locking up opposing teams’ best players. George must show that version of himself moving forward.
Sixers’ Struggles Took Maxey by Surprise
When speaking to the media shortly after Philadelphia’s season ended, Maxey admitted that he was unprepared for the Sixers’ struggles throughout the season. The young guard had not been planning for Philadelphia to become one of the worst teams (by record) in the NBA.
“I think the biggest thing is, man, like, and this is the first time I’ve ever been through something like this,” Maxey said, via Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. “Honestly, I can’t sit here and say I prepared for this moment. I’ve never prepared for a moment like this, but my biggest thing is trying to keep everybody positive. At the end of the day, it does suck.”
After poor performances all around, the Sixers will undoubtedly have some additional motivation moving forward. Embiid, George and Maxey will all want to prove they’re better than what we saw from them. Perhaps meeting up and working out during the summer is precisely what the team needs.
Of course, the fanbase will want to see results. There’s no way another season like this one will be able to slip right under the radar without some significant changes being made.
Paul George Lays Out Summer Plans for Sixers’ Big 3