Now that the James Harden saga is officially over, it’s time for the 76ers to give all their attention to Joel Embiid. In a segment on ‘NBA Today’ this Friday, league insider Adrian Wojnarowski explained the new challenge for Philly in the wake of another star’s dramatic exit.
“This isn’t going away. For NBA superstar players in their prime, every NBA team is at the mercy of if they’re happy and if they believe in it,” said Woj. “Doesn’t matter if they’re a free agent or have four years left on their deal, that’s the reality in the NBA and Philly knows that. Now they are going to spend literally every waking day trying to convince him that everything he wants can still happen with the Sixers.”
.@wojespn speaks on Joel Embiid's future with Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/SE4DhB9aeA
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 3, 2023
After last night’s win over the Raptors, the 76ers are 3-1 on the season and don’t seem to be missing Harden at all. Even so, without a proper co-star for Embiid, the 76ers will always be underdogs compared to the Bucks, Heat, and Nets, who have the star power and experience to compete with the best. Even with James Harden on the floor last season, it still wasn’t enough for Philadelphia to have a breakthrough when it mattered most.
The 76ers Are Dysfunctional
The Joel Embiid era has been a wild ride in Philly. After being drafted 3rd overall in 2014, Joel went on to miss the next two seasons to recover from surgeries related to his previous injuries. By the time he was ready for his debut in 2016, nobody was expecting much from the Cameroon big man, but we know who he turned out to be. After years of losing and throwing away competitive seasons, “the process” was born and became a point of great controversy for many years.
Fast forward to the 2021 postseason, and things took a turn for the worst for the franchise. In the aftermath of another brutal playoff defeat, Embiid’s first co-star, Ben Simmons, requested a trade and started a months-long holdout that will go down in the history books. Two seasons later, the same thing has happened again with James Harden, and Embiid is once again caught in the middle. At this point, one has to wonder how much more Embiid is willing to take before he calls for a change.
The Future Is Uncertain For The Reigning MVP
Joel Embiid put on a masterclass last season with averages of 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game on 54% shooting. As the MVP for 2023, he’s at the peak of his powers right now and he’s fully capable of putting the 76ers on his back to secure a top-four seed in the East. But if the 76ers continue to fall flat, there is a sense that Joel could look elsewhere to continue his basketball career.
Set to make $212 million over the next four seasons, Embiid is locked up until 2026 at the latest, when he can decline his player option and become a free agent. In such a scenario, multiple teams would be interested in a deal, including the Knicks, Thunder, Heta, and virtually every other title aiming to compete for a title. So if the Sixers don’t shape up soon and get a proper team around their star, they could find themselves in an ugly rebuild within the next five years.
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