As a five-time member of the All-NBA team and the reigning MVP, there’s no question Joel Embiid is one of, if not the best center in basketball. The face of the Philadelphia 76ers is the lone reason why the team ranks near the top of the power rankings while being an annual contender to win an NBA championship.
Earning three All-Defensive team honors while also being a two-time scoring champion, Embiid is arguably just as good defensively as he is a scorer. Despite just the one MVP, you’d be hard-pressed to find many players who are definitively better than the 29-year-old center.
Even though the Sixers have reached the playoffs in each of the past six seasons, Embiid has yet to get past the Eastern Conference Semifinals. That has to eat away at the basketball great, knowing he hasn’t been able to help his team put together an all-around effort when it counts.
As loyal as Embiid has always been to Philadelphia, he’s also never been shy about stating his desire to win on the biggest stage. After making a coaching change from Doc Rivers to Nick Nurse, the 76ers are running out of excuses. The expectation is to win now.
While Embiid sounds like a person who has no intentions of leaving the City of Brotherly Love, he recently spoke on the possibility of someday heading elsewhere to secure his first NBA Finals win.
Embiid’s four-year, $213 million contract with the 76ers kicks in this season and spans through the 2025-26 year with a $59 million player option available in 2026-27 as well.
He will be 32 when it’s time to decide on his player option. If he’s still one of the best in the game, Embiid should have no problem seeking an even bigger payday on the open market. Will that opportunity come with the Sixers or possibly another team who Embiid feels is more equipped to win now?
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