Browsing: George

George Kittle is eying up a Week 7 return after an early-season stint on injured reserve due to a torn hamstring.

The San Francisco 49ers tight end told reporters Thursday he “fully plans” to play against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, though the decision will ultimately rest with head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Kittle was a limited participant in Thursday’s practice, as was quarterback Brock Purdy and wideout Juaun Jennings. Receiver Ricky Pearsall was a non-participant as San Francisco’s injury issues continued in earnest.

At points this year, the Niners have dealt with injuries to all of the players listed above, alongside top wideout Brandon Aiyuk (still recovering from last season’s torn ACL) and superstar edge-rusher Nick Bosa (out for the season with a torn ACL).

The loss of Kittle has been a major one. The 32-year-old Kittle is a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro and is coming off one of the best seasons of his career (78 catches for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns). He’s impactful as a blocker as well, making his absence a major detriment for the Niners.

Despite being arguably the most injury-prone team in football this season, however, San Francisco has still managed to go 4-2. If Kittle is able to return in Week 7, it will provide a major boost, especially with the Falcons, Houston Texans and Los Angeles Rams on tap in three of the next four weeks.

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OWEN SOUND, Ont. — Los Angeles Kings prospect Carter George earned a 29-save shutout as the Owen Sound Attack extended their winning streak to four games with a 6-0 victory over the Barrie Colts. on Wednesday.

Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Harry Nansi, with two goals, Nicholas Sykora, Max Delisle, Masen Wray and Pierce Mbuyi scored for Owen Sound (8-2-0).

Ben Hrebik kicked out 20 of 26 shots for Barrie (3-5-0-2), which had its losing streak stretched to three games.

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. — Christopher Brown had a goal and three assists as the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds defeated the Saginaw Spirit 5-2.

Jordan Charron, Marco Mignosa, Travis Hayes and Quinn McKenzie, with an empty-netter, also scored for Sault Ste. Marie (7-4-0). Landon Miller made 25 saves.

Jacob Cloutier and Egor Barabanov netted goals for Saginaw (2-3-3-1), which lost its third in a row. Stepan Shurygin stopped 28 of 32 shots.

Barabanov’s goal at 7:29 of the second period put the Spirit ahead 2-0.

Charron scored 1:29 later for one of three second-period goals for the Greyhounds. Mignosa had a power-play marker to cap the second-period scoring, while McKenzie’s empty-netter came short-handed.

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Depleted by injuries, the San Francisco 49ers could finally get some relief this week.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan said that star tight end George Kittle, who has been out since Week 1 with a hamstring injury, is expected to return to practice this week ahead of Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Kittle suffered a hamstring injury in the first half of the 49ers’ season opener against the Seattle Seahawks and later landed on the injured reserve, meaning he’d have to miss at least four games.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported earlier this month that Kittle had been “doing great” and faced “no setbacks,” but he wasn’t quite ready to return to the field after just four games.

While Shanahan didn’t give a definitive answer on whether Kittle will play this week, it’s a good sign that he’s at least expected to practice.

Kittle is coming off a second consecutive season with 1,000-plus yards, recording 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns last year despite missing two games due to a hamstring injury. He started the 2025 campaign off strong with 25 yards and a touchdown in the first half of Week 1, but the injury halted his momentum.

Kittle’s potential return couldn’t come at a better time for the Niners. San Francisco has had arguably the worst injury luck of any team this season, and things aren’t getting any better.

The 49ers were without Nick Bosa, Brandon Aiyuk, Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall and Kittle on Sunday against the Bucs, and they ended up losing star linebacker Fred Warner to a season-ending ankle injury during that game.

But San Francisco has managed to stay afloat so far, heading into Week 7 at 4-2. The Niners’ surprising success is largely due to the breakout season from backup quarterback Mac Jones, who has thrown for 1,252 yards and six touchdowns in four games.

If Jones has Kittle, one of the league’s best tight ends, this week, it would make his job significantly easier.

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What is a sleeper? There can be multiple interpretations of who the word can apply to, and there are so many factors that can impact that. Depending on league size, scoring format or even fandoms within leagues, players are valued uniquely in every single league.

In my mind, a player is a “sleeper†if consensus isnâ€t high enough. Some of these players are sleepers in the more traditional sense that you can find them on the waiver wire or trade for them pretty easily. A few may already hold decent value, but I think there is still a ton of untapped potential there.

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So basically, this is a list of dynasty sleepers, but that doesnâ€t mean every player on this list will be a sleeper in your league. I would say that dynasty leagues should roster 250-300 players at minimum, but some people play in leagues that roster 150 players, and I have a league that can roster over 600 players, depending on how many IR spots are being used.

Some of these players may be such deep cuts that you shouldnâ€t consider rostering them in your dynasty league that rosters 200 players. Others may not qualify as a sleeper in a league that rosters 400+ players. And of course, if youâ€re playing with friends that are all fans of the same team, theyâ€re probably all well aware of a player that most may consider as a sleeper.

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Here are 11 players Iâ€d consider sleepers in dynasty leagues:

1. SG/SF Kyshawn George, Washington Wizards

I was lower on George entering last yearâ€s draft, but his rookie season really impressed me. He averaged 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.7 three-pointers per game. His shooting ability was arguably his strongest attribute entering the league, but he shot really poorly during his first year at 37.2 percent from the floor and 32.2 percent from deep. Iâ€m confident his shot will come around, and his defense and playmaking were both really strong for a rookie. The Wizards have a lot of young talent on this roster, and George sticks out as one of the more well-rounded.

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2. PG/SG Keon Ellis, Sacramento Kings

Eventually, someone is going to give Ellis a consistent starting job, and heâ€ll quickly become an elite player in fantasy. This may or may not be the year. The Dennis Schroder signing doesnâ€t give me much hope, but Ellis is talented enough to be worth hanging onto, and he can still be productive in a reserve role. He averaged 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.7 three-pointers in 24.4 minutes per game last season. All he needs is a chance, and he can be a dominant source of threes and defensive stats.

3. PF Nikola Jovic, Miami Heat

I think Jovic has the chance to be an excellent late-round value pick in redraft leagues, which means that his dynasty value could skyrocket quickly. That just means you need to acquire him before the hype train leaves the station. Last season, Jovic averaged 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 three-pointers in 25.1 minutes per game. I already had Jovic pinned as a dynasty sleeper, but Erik Spoelstra starting him over Kelâ€el Ware only makes this more true. Miami is going to need help on offense with Tyler Herro (ankle) sidelined, and Jovicâ€s presence in the opening group will help with that. He could break out sooner rather than later.

4. C Ryan Kalkbrenner, Charlotte Hornets

Sometimes, dynasty sleepers arenâ€t long-term options. They can also be players that are being undervalued that are set up to have a run of success, but they can quickly become overrated and should be traded after that. Kalkbrenner fits that mold. The center rotation in Charlotte is wide open, with Kalkbrenner competing with Moussa Diabate and Mason Plumlee. He averaged 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.7 blocks per game for Creighton last season as one of the best players in college basketball. Thereâ€s also, of course, the chance that Kalkbrenner could end up having a successful NBA career after dominating college basketball. Many dynasty managers may be scared off by him being 23 years old, but thereâ€s a path for quick and sustained success.

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5. SF/PF Jake LaRavia, Los Angeles Lakers

The 2022 first round pick spent the first two years of his career in Memphis before being traded to the Kings at the deadline last season. He hasnâ€t seen a consistent role with either of his two previous teams, but he has a chance with Los Angeles this season. LaRavia should play a significant reserve role for the Lakers, which will give him an opportunity to finally live up to his potential, though in a limited capacity. However, it wonâ€t be long before LeBron James retires. LaRavia could get the first opportunity to be the small forward of the future in Los Angeles. He averaged 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 three-pointers per game between his time with the Grizzlies and Kings last season.

6. PF/C Jonathan Mogbo, Toronto Raptors

When Mogbo got the chance last season, he was able to turn in some excellent performances. In 18 starts during his rookie year, Mogbo averaged 7.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. Heâ€s not much of a shooter, but the well-rounded production makes him an enticing fantasy option. The short-term downside is that Toronto has multiple players that fit this mold as well in Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles. Playing all three together could create headaches for opposing teams when Toronto is on defense, but those same headaches will be replicated when the Raptors are on offense. Whether it is with Toronto or elsewhere, Mogbo has intriguing potential.

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7. C Goga Bitadze, Orlando Magic

Though the Magic may prioritize Wendell Carter Jr. in the lineup, Bitadze was a fantastic fantasy option last season when he was given the opportunity. It may not be with Orlando, but Bitadze could end up being a valuable player with a new team. In 42 starts last year, Bitadze averaged 9.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.8 blocks in just 24.9 minutes per game. WCJ fits better alongside Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner due to his spacing ability, so this could be another scenario where Bitadze ends up breaking out on a different team. The encouraging thing is that weâ€ve already seen it happen. Now, we just need him to get an opportunity to play a large role somewhere else.

8. SF Jaylon Tyson, Cleveland Cavaliers

The 2024 first round pick is going to get a chance to shine early on with Darius Garland (toe) sidelined to start next season and Max Strus (foot) set to miss a few months. Tyson wonâ€t start unless there is another injury, but he had success when he played a large role last season, which includes a 16/11/7/2 line in a start in November and a 31/7/4/3/1 line with four triples as a starter in April. He also averaged 19.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.3 blocks and 2.7 threes per game during summer league.

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9. C Oso Ighodaro, Phoenix Suns

Phoenix added Ighodaro in the second round of the 2024 draft, and he showcased some enticing upside during summer league. They put the ball in his hands, and he was able to average 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.8 blocks per game in Las Vegas. If theyâ€re able to develop him into a seven-foot ball handler, the sky is the limit.

10. C Adem Bona, Philadelphia 76ers

When Joel Embiid has been sidelined, Bona has turned in some impressive performances, and it appears that heâ€ll get the opportunity to play a large role often this year. Over the final two months of last season, Bona averaged 10.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 23.4 minutes per game while shooting 70.7 percent from the floor. With Embiidâ€s health always in question, Bona could get a chance to play a significant role this season.

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11. PF/C Mouhamed Gueye, Atlanta Hawks

Gueye was the starter in place of Jalen Johnson down the stretch of last season, and while he didnâ€t play big minutes, he was effective when he was given the opportunity. He played at least 20 minutes nine times last year, and he averaged 9.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.3 blocks and 1.1 threes per game while only exceeding 25 minutes once. In that game, he played 33 minutes and grabbed 18 rebounds. Gueye may not get as much of an opportunity for what should be a better Hawks team this season, but heâ€s worth stashing.

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CALVERTON, NY — When the New York Islanders left for the Hamptons on Friday afternoon to begin their three-day team-bonding trip, Isaiah George and Calum Ritchie boarded the bus.

The two youngsters aren’t likely to make the Islanders’ roster, but the organization felt it was essential to have them on the trip.

“It’s important to have them. I mean, are you kidding me?” Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said with a huge smile on his face. “To be around the guys who’ve been here for a long time, or even less, it’s good bonding. It’s good for them to be with the club and have a bit of a taste of what it is. I think that’s great.”

George had a great camp, but with No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer cracking the starting lineup and Adam Boqvist having the ability to quarterback a power play, there isn’t yet room for him to get valuable minutes at the NHL level.

It makes more sense for his development to be playing big minutes for Bridgeport of the American Hockey League.

When it comes to Ritchie, the main return piece in the Brock Nelson trade, he proved that he’s NHL-ready and did everything possible to make the Islanders’ decision tough. However, a lower-body injury sustained in their final preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers last Thursday will keep him out 1-2 weeks, making that once-difficult decision an easy one.

Injured players cannot be sent to the AHL, so, in theory, he’ll likely remain up with the club to rehab before he’s optioned to Bridgeport.

Both will play big roles or this team sooner than later, so why not get them acclimated with their future teammates.

“It’s great. When I was a young guy, coming on these things, it really feels like you’re part of it,” Islanders captain Anders Lee said. “You’re part of the organization, you’re part of the team, and you get to start to know everybody, so when the time comes and they’re here with us, they feel comfortable. It’s like they’re one of us. And I think that stuff’s great. We get to know them, like I said, look out for them, take them around, show them the ropes, have some fun, and really begin that relationship.”

While both George and Ritchie, playing 33 and seven NHL games, respectively, have some experience, feeling as comfortable as possible off the ice with this specific team will translate to on the ice.

“It’s cool [to be a part of this],” George said. “I mean, obviously, to be with the guys, to be a part of the team like this is great, no matter what happens. “This helps build camaraderie amongst the group, and I think that helps us when we’re out on the ice.”

The Islanders’ future is bright, and whether it’s the team-bonding trip or participating in a training game with NHLers, having the organization’s top prospects feel comfortable is a priority under general manager Mathieu Darche, and it makes all the difference.

Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

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Even in the most trying moments, when it looked like his career had migrated north to never to return, George Springer refused to lose sense of who he is. Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the fearsomeness that had defined Springer’s career vanished. And yet he balked at the idea that numbers would define him. He still believed greatness existed within, and any hope at a resurgence necessitated him being his truest self. Which is why every day when the music in the Toronto Blue Jays’ clubhouse thumped through the speakers, Springer would start to dance.

“There has to be a lightheartedness about the day,” Springer said. “It doesn’t matter how you’re doing. I’ve kind of always been that way. When things are not going the way, you want ’em to, you tend to try to find and search for things that aren’t there.”

Gone, in this instance, was the power that defined Springer’s game and the dynamism that made him a four-time All-Star. The quest to find them tested Springer’s fortitude and made the 2025 season that much more fulfilling. Because along with his swing, Springer found purpose. The former World Series MVP wanted to take the Blue Jays back to the playoffs, win another championship — and to ride a Royal Canadian Mounted Police horse through the streets of Toronto.

Saturday starts the endgame of that journey. At 4 p.m. ET, the top-seeded Blue Jays will host the New York Yankees in the first of their best-of-five American League Division Series at Rogers Centre. The 36-year-old Springer will bat leadoff, serve as designated hitter and try to carry over his best season in more than half a decade to the time of year that makes him want to dance more than any.

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For all of the excellence Vladimir Guerrero Jr. offers, the power Daulton Varsho provides, the timely hitting Bo Bichette brings, nobody mattered more to the 2025 Blue Jays than Springer. His .309 batting average ranked fourth in Major League Baseball, his .399 on-base percentage second, his .560 slugging percentage fifth. Only Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani finished with a higher weighted on-base average than Springer’s .408 mark. It harkened back to Springer’s time with the Houston Astros, when his prolific regular-season performances were capped annually by Octobers worth remembering.

“A lot of people wrote off George Springer, said he’s passed his prime, thought the Houston George that I knew and I hated and I played against was gone,” Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt said. “People thought that was a thing in the past. I’m just proud of George being kind of who he is and never really just being OK with being average.”

Even if age is the ultimate performance suppressor, the sight of a diminished Springer — no longer able to patrol the outfield gazelle-like, cratering to a .674 OPS last year — registered as a surprise. He arrived in Toronto in 2021 on a six-year, $150 million free agent contract to rekindle the glory days of the Blue Jays, who last won a World Series in 1992. Though Springer’s lone championship came with the 2017 Astros later exposed for cheating via a sign-stealing scheme, he had earned a reputation as an annual winner and postseason performer, his 19 postseason home runs tied for sixth most all time.

Playing for a Toronto team swept out of the wild-card round in 2022 and 2023 before finishing in last place in the AL East in 2024 whittled away at that reputation as well as his numbers. It prompted him to embrace the suggestions of Toronto’s hitting coaches — David Popkins and Lou Iannotti joined Hunter Mense — that he prioritizes getting off what they called his “A-swing” more often. Springer’s capacity to swing at high speeds had evaporated in 2024, and it would have been easy to chalk that up to age.

“He was very, very passive at times, and he was very defensive, especially hitting-wise,” Bassitt said. “And this year they have him locked into ‘No matter the count, it’s just aggressive.’ He always feels like he’s on the attack and in control of the bat, and then you make a mistake and he’s ready for it.”

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The path to his return was not linear. In spring training, Springer hit .108 in 37 at-bats. He went hitless on Opening Day. Toronto’s staff did not waver in its support. Springer’s body remained pliable and explosive, and Toronto’s coaches were convinced that in time the results would match the quality of his swings. The Blue Jays’ hitting coaches, Springer said, have “done everything they can to make sure that I stay in the right headspace. That even if I hit a ball hard and I’m out, it’s OK. It’s to focus on the process and not the result.”

Outcome eventually caught up to process. His bat speed, which had dipped below 72 mph, approached 74, one of the largest gains in MLB this year and in the upper quartile of the league. He stopped chasing pitches outside the zone. He kept drawing walks. And when he did get off that A-swing, it did extreme damage. He posted an OPS over 1.000 in each of the season’s final three months. Springer’s 32 home runs led the Blue Jays. His all-around game crested as well, with 18 stolen bases in 19 attempts and a thirst to cause havoc on the basepaths.

“His baserunning has been contagious,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “That has set a standard for our team and helped us astronomically.”

On-field Springer, teammates said, is exceeded only by his off-field version. He is beloved in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse, where he serves as the wise man to a batch of 20-somethings. When Varsho spent two months on the injured list with a strained hamstring, the only thing he could guarantee every day was that his phone would ring and he would see Springer trying to FaceTime him. Springer’s support buoyed Varsho through the doldrums of waiting for an injury to heal — and served as lesson time, too.

“One thing that I’ve learned from him is how to be able to shut off your brain after games. He’s the best,” Varsho said. “Whether it’s a good day or a bad day, it doesn’t matter. Once that game’s done with, it’s over. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. I’ve never seen anybody be able to go right after the game, snap their fingers and it’s like, it’s gone. And it’s honestly very, very impressive. Talk about him postseason-wise: That’s why he’s so good. Because he’s able to turn that brain off really fast.”

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That time on the calendar has arrived. The Yankees, who the Blue Jays beat via tiebreaker to secure the top seed and home-field advantage in the AL, come to Toronto still reveling in their wild-card series win against Boston. They know Springer well. He beat them in the wild-card game in 2015. He beat them in the ALCS in 2017. He beat them in the ALCS again in 2019. And now, starting with his 68th career playoff game, he has a chance to do so once more.

“It doesn’t matter who you’re playing,” Springer said. “You’ve most likely already played them. You’ve most likely faced a guy on the mound before you’ve played in these environments. The biggest difference is the overall atmosphere is much more intense.”

With more than 40,000 people packed into Rogers Centre, there are scant few baseball environments more intense than Toronto. And it infuses in Springer all the more energy to fulfill his goal. He wants to celebrate a title by serving as an honorary Mountie for one day, high atop his steed, strolling down a packed-to-the-gills Bremner Boulevard.

The Toronto Police Mounted Unit is happy to oblige. In a recent video, a police officer offered Springer a deal: Win the World Series, and the coolest pony ride this side of HorseCapades is his. The love of these Blue Jays, picked to finish last in the AL East, is endless, and the least the city can do for their most productive player is offer him a ride.

So he’ll step into the batter’s box today against Luis Gil and try to make this October as memorable as April through September. Unleashing his A-swing. Fighting the good fight against Father Time. And dancing all the way.

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Come the end of the Toronto Blue Jays’ season, veteran outfielder George Springer’s batting gloves will have a new home — but they won’t be going far.

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Springer’s Hartford Whalers-themed batting gloves will be going to the hall of fame — not the Baseball Hall of Fame, in Cooperstown, New York, but the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

The 36-year-old outfielder’s gloves pay homage to his since-departed childhood team. Springer is a native of New Britain, Connecticut, located approximately 20 minutes southwest of the state’s capital of Hartford. Born in 1989, Springer was a child during the final years of the Whalers in Connecticut, with the franchise playing its last game in Hartford in 1997 before relocating and rebranding to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Evidently impressed by the tribute, the Hockey Hall of Fame requested Springer’s gloves once the season comes to a close.

George Springer’s batting gloves pay homage to the Hartford Whalers, who relocated from Springer’s home state of Connecticut when the now-MLB outfielder was a child. Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

Springer is entering the postseason on the back of a resurgent 2025 campaign. He finished the regular season with 32 home runs, 84 RBIs and a .560 slugging percentage, all personal bests since his run of three straight All-Star Games from 2017-19. With his help, the Toronto Blue Jays won the AL East for the first time since 2015.

The Blue Jays will play their first game of the 2025 playoffs on Oct. 4, against the winner of the New York Yankees/Boston Red Sox wild-card series.

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With the 2025-26 NBA season just around the corner, the league’s media days began this week with the Philadelphia 76ers holding sessions on Friday.

Among those from the Sixers’ organization who spoke Friday were Paul George and Joel Embiid. George provided a status update on the injury he suffered during an offseason workout in July, confirming he will not be able to practice initially during 76ers training camp, being held Saturday and Sunday in Camden, New Jersey.

“Iâ€m getting better and better,†George said. “Iâ€m feeling stronger and stronger. I feel a lot better now than I did at this point last year.â€

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George had a down year in his first with Philadelphia. In 41 games, George averaged just 16.2 points per game, which is one the lowest marks of his career. George’s season was cut short due to knee and groin injuries. The team shut him down in early March. George is a nine-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA and four-time All-Defensive team selection.

Embiid did not provide much in terms of when he may return to the court, according to Jeff Borzello of ESPN.

“There’s not necessarily an expectation. … The goal is to play consistently and not be in a position that we were last year,” Embiid told the media Friday.

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Embiid appeared in just 19 games for Philly last season, missing most of the year with a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery in April. There is no current timetable set for the 31-year-old’s return. When Embiid did play last season, he averaged 23.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, his lowest numbers since his second active year in the NBA. Embiid missed his first two seasons after being drafted in 2014 due to a fracture in his foot. He didn’t debut for the 76ers until the 2016-17 season.

[Get more Sixers news: Philadelphia team feed]

The third member of Philadelphia’s big three, Tyrese Maxey, also spent some time talking to the media on Friday. Maxey was asked about the team’s struggles last season and also talked about culture and the franchise moving in the right direction.

“I’ve never lost in my career,” Maxey explained. “It was good for me to go through that and become a better leader … this year we definitely plan on being better, and we’ve been working our tails off to be better.

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“I think the biggest thing that this team and this organization need to work on is ourselves … right now we’re just trying to find ways to get better every day, make sure the culture is right and make sure that we’re all stepping in the right direction.”

Maxey stepped into a bigger leadership role last season with Embiid and George sidelined. He set a new career high in points, averaging 26.3 a year after winning the league’s Most Improved Player award. However, despite Maxey’s overall improvement, he was only on the court for 52 games due to multiple injuries.

Philadelphia kicks off its NBA preseason schedule Oct. 2 with an international game against the New York Knicks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Sixers begin the regular season Oct. 22 against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Boston.

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  Jeff BorzelloSep 26, 2025, 12:14 PM ET

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  Jeff Borzello is a basketball recruiting insider. He has joined ESPN in 2014.

CAMDEN, New Jersey — There isn’t a definitive timeline for Philadelphia 76ers stars Joel Embiid and Paul George to return from their respective knee surgeries, both players said Friday at the team’s media day.

Embiid said he feels “pretty good” but he’s taking it day by day and checking boxes as he progresses toward a return.

“There’s not necessarily an expectation; it’s more about making sure everything is right and doing everything right and then go from there,” he said. “Obviously the goal is to play consistently and not be the position that we were last year.”

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Embiid was limited to 19 games last season because of his ongoing left knee injury and a foot sprain, officially shutting down his campaign in late February. He averaged 23.8 points per game, his fewest since the 2019-20 season, and 8.2 rebounds, the former NBA MVP’s fewest since his rookie year in 2016-17.

He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April, with a reevaluation timeline of six weeks. Friday’s media day, however, was the first official health update since the surgery and the first time Embiid has spoken publicly since February.

Embiid was asked whether there were any on-court adjustments he could make moving forward to avoid injury.

“At times you can’t get out of yourself,” he said. “All I know is, ever since I started this, to play hard, play both ends. There’s a lot of people in the league that play one side, whether it’s offense or defense. A lot of times for me, my mentality is to do whatever it takes to win. For all of my career, it’s been having to do both.”

“I’ve gotten to this point because of how good I am at both ends of the floor. If you ask me to change the way I play, the only guess that I have is either play offense fully and take plays off defensively, which doesn’t suit me,” Embiid continued. “I don’t think I’d ever be OK with that. I don’t know. We’ll just wait and see. If it’s gotta be that way, it’s definitely going to be an adjustment, but I don’t see that happening.”

“We’re not getting into the expectations game,” said Daryl Morey, the franchise’s president of basketball operations. “The doctors’ advice, what Joel said on listening to his body, which is a big component on how doctors manage injuries — that’s going to be what carries the day this year.”

Head coach Nick Nurse said he’s hoping there’s more to manage with Embiid’s availability this season, which would mean he’s able to play more than a year ago.

“There was not a whole lot of management,” Nurse said. “He didn’t play a lot, he wasn’t allowed to play a lot. His body wasn’t allowing him to be there. I hope there’s management issues where we’re trying to figure out when he’s playing, when he’s not playing, and it’s going on for a long time. I think that’s what we’re all hoping for.”

George underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee in July after suffering an injury during a workout and was expected to be reevaluated in September. He played in just 41 games last season after signing a four-year, $212 million maximum contract with Philadelphia in the summer of 2024. The nine-time NBA All-Star dealt with a number of ailments last season, before receiving injections in his left adductor muscle and left knee and shutting down his season in March.

“I’m getting better and better. Feeling stronger and stronger,” George said. “This next couple of weeks is very important, leading into the start of the season, opening night, all of that stuff. All I can do is just focus on doing that, day after day, taking it one day at a time. I do think I will be at a good place, hopefully, earlier than later.”

He said he can do “pretty much everything but full contact.” George won’t be fully ready for the start of training camp, but the swelling in his knee is going down.

“I don’t think there’s a timeline,” he said, “just how the body is doing as we’re ramping up the work.”

The 6-foot-8 forward averaged just 16.2 points last season, his fewest since his six-game 2014-15 campaign. George has played more than 56 games in a season just once since 2018-19.

“It can’t get worse than last year,” he said. “That was a rock bottom kind of season.”

Jared McCain, the Sixers’ first-round pick in 2024, looked to be on track for the start of the season after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee last December, but he suffered a UCL tear in his right thumb in a workout on Thursday. He was averaging 15.3 points before his season was cut short after 23 games.

“Some injuries are fluky. Jared’s couldn’t have been more fluky,” Morey said. “We’re still working with doctors to see when he’ll be back.”

Quentin Grimes, who would be expected to take on a bigger role with McCain sidelined, wasn’t at media day on Friday. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday that Grimes is unlikely to travel with the team to Abu Dhabi for preseason games against the New York Knicks due to a contract stalemate. The restricted free agent has until Oct. 1 to accept a one-year qualifying offer.

“I think we will get to a resolution in the next few days, hopefully,” Morey said. “But we’re excited to bring him back. He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do, now and into the future, if we can get things resolved.”

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Chelsea academy graduates usually have a couple of well-trodden pathways – breakthrough, loan, first team. Or breakthrough, loan, sale.

The Blues have moved on more than 40 homegrown players in the past decade, and made £315m from selling academy-developed talent in the last four seasons alone – £100m more than Manchester City.

But their latest high-profile prospect George has bucked that trend so far and can look at how Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah and Reece James have progressed to first-team success.

George’s strike against Fulham on 20 April, aged 19 years and 75 days, saw him become the club’s youngest scorer in the Premier League since Callum Hudson-Odoi netted against Burnley in January 2020.

The winger’s breakthrough season included Carabao Cup games against Barrow and Morecambe, substitute league appearances against Arsenal and Brighton, and more than 750 minutes in 12 Conference League games, including a goal in the quarter-final first-leg win at Legia Warsaw.

George, who turned 19 in February, is disrupting the ‘Chelsea’ narrative thanks to a level of dedication unusual even in this era of youth development.

The last Chelsea player to come through the youth system into the first team without a loan was one of his idols, Hudson-Odoi in January 2018.

A source told BBC Sport that in his early years at Chelsea, George was a ‘middling’ player in his age group until around the age of 10.

It was at that point his dad hired a goalkeeper as well as a personal coach, David ‘Guru’ Sobers, to raise his game.

In midweek, George would train with Chelsea, and then from the age of 13 on Fridays, he would play against men in nine-a-side matches at either Vauxhall or Nine Elms Power League in South London.

On Saturdays, he would train again and go through post-match analysis with Sobers from his Power League matches the previous evening, before going back to Chelsea on Sunday to play.

“I used to spend hours travelling on public transport to do two-hour sessions, or longer, with Tyrique as I thought I could help him,” Sobers told BBC Sport.

“We would spend hours doing one-versus-one, technical work, shooting drills, and I enjoyed the fact that he would push himself so much.

“I’d be a ‘bad’ referee when he played against 18-year-olds, so he would get kicked – but have to get up and win the ball back.

“We did tactics on his Friday session during these matches. I think it helped our young players, we also had guys now at Manchester City, West Ham and Reading, become fearless, especially when coming back to their own age group.”

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