Joel Embiid isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
The Philadelphia 76ers superstar center revealed Friday morning on Instagram that he agreed to a contract extension with the team:
The Athletic’s Shams Charania and ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported Embiid signed a three-year, $193.5 million max extension.
Charania added this will guarantee Embiid $301 million over the next five years from the Sixers.
While that figure is astronomical—especially for a player in Embiid who continues to struggle to stay healthy—it’s ultimately a win for the Sixers. The 30-year-old Embiid could have chosen to see out his current contract, decline his player option for the 2026-27 season and hit free agency, where he would have been widely courted.
At this point, it does feel likely that Embiid will finish his career in Philadelphia.
The one-time MVP had an injury-plagued 2023-24 season but has become one of the most beloved athletes in the city and Sixers history, earning seven All-Star Game bids, winning two scoring titles and a first-team All-NBA nod in the 2022-23 season (to go along with four second-team selections).
Few players combine his all-around offensive game with his defensive dominance. He’s one of the most talented one-on-one scorers in the league, has range out to the three-point line, has improved as a passer and serves as the team’s defensive fulcrum, making him essentially the perfect center in the modern NBA.
But injuries have always been an issue, and postseason success continues to elude him and the Sixers. The hope will be that with Embiid locked into place for several more years to come, the team can finally get over that hump.
At this stage, it’s essentially the only box he hasn’t checked in what is shaping up to be a Hall of Fame career.
And the Sixers have perhaps never had a better shot than now after signing Paul George to a four-year, $211.5 million contract and Tyrese Maxey to a five-year, $203.8 million extension. This big three is seemingly locked into place for the foreseeable future, and it’s title or bust in Philly.
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