Philadelphia 76ers star wing Paul George has undergone a successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on July 14 following an offseason workout injury, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports, and the team confirmed. 

Dr. Jonathan Glashow of NYU Langone performed the procedure, which did not involve any major ligament damage, according to Sixers medical reports.

George is expected to begin his rehabilitation immediately and will be re-evaluated before the start of training camp. His recovery timeline will be closely monitored, with his availability for the season opener still uncertain. Given his history – this year marked the fifth time in six seasons he has appeared in under 60 games – Philadelphia faces another injury-laden spring.

This offseason surgery complicates the planned return of the team’s star trio – George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey – who played just 15 total games together last season. Embiid also missed time recovering from a knee procedure himself, and now George enters training camp under a cloud of uncertainty.

ANALYSIS: The Sixers’ team cohesion might be at risk here. A healthy roster at camp was critical for coach Nick Nurse to implement his system. George, starting the season on the mend, disrupts valuable team-building time. Meanwhile, this raises another cause of concern for Philadelphia, as both George and Embiid have undergone similar surgeries within months. This raises red flags about the durability of the Sixers' core.

Even after all that, the upside remains for the Sixers and their title aspirations this year. While his 41 games last year were his lowest since 2014-15, George remains a nine-time All-Star capable of impactful two-way play when healthy, and key in a bounce-back season that saw the Sixers go 24-58.

Paul George's surgery delivers a setback to Philadelphia’s long-awaited “big three” revitalization. His rehabilitation and any lingering impacts on availability will be closely watched as the Sixers aim for a turnaround in 2025-26.