The Philadelphia 76ers went into the postseason as a promising unit after their first-round victory against the second-seeded Boston Celtics. However, after being swept by the New York Knicks in the second round, Joel Embiid‘s postseason runs remain cursed.
After a 144-114 blowout loss in Game 4, the Philadelphia 76ers will find themselves revisiting their plans for the next season. Although this would typically imply some changes, Joel Embiid’s postgame comments raised some eyebrows about his position with the team moving forward.
While speaking about what audiences can expect from Philadelphia’s core moving forward, Embiid stated:
“Like VJ, I’m going to talk to him. He’s going to be better. He was amazing for his first year. Tyrese is going to be better, and he’s taking a step every single year. The PG that we saw the last couple of weeks. He’s still got it, and then everybody else.”
As promising as his faith in his teammates was, Embiid followed up by adding:
“I don’t know who’s going to be here. I don’t even know if I’m going to be here, but whatever happens, happens. But for me, I’m excited about really getting back to myself.”
Joel Embiid’s comment naturally hints at the uncertainty that comes with going into the offseason. Given that roster changes are an inevitability, it shouldn’t come as a shock. However, with Embiid hinting at ambiguity regarding his own place on the team, a potential large-scale roster shake-up could be in the works.
Is Joel Embiid’s Time In Philadelphia Over?
Joel Embiid has arguably been the Philadelphia 76ers’ biggest superstar since Allen Iverson in the early 2000s. Although the franchise has featured great players in between, very few have had the charisma and star power of Embiid.
Embiid’s emergence as the face of the 76ers’ franchise was marked by the onset of the “Process” era. While this phase showcased Philadelphia’s potential to win a title, with various iterations of the core generating intrigue as title contenders, it is safe to say that things have not worked out in the franchise’s favor.
For all his brilliance, Joel Embiid has been plagued by injuries. With these same problems also keeping him sidelined during the playoffs, Philadelphia has routinely come up short in the postseason, struggling to make it past the second round in most cases.
Although many wrote him off this year, Embiid proved many naysayers wrong by battling through various injuries and showing up in the playoffs. With averages of 24.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game in the playoffs, he was one of their best players.
In light of his performances, it would make sense for the 76ers to keep faith in Embiid. However, given the current circumstances, it is equally difficult to fault them for wanting to move on.
Because of recurring injuries, Joel Embiid only appeared in 38 games in the regular season, averaging 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. Even though these are solid figures, his extended absences prove costly, especially when considering his massive $55.2 million cap hit this season.
Next season, Embiid’s salary increases to $58.1 million. While this is justified for a player with his ability, being unavailable is too much of a cost for the 76ers to bear.
Hence, unless the superstar can find a conclusive way to reassure the franchise of his ability to stay healthy, there is good reason to believe that the front office may choose to move on from him.
