Are the Philadelphia 76ers gambling by extending Joel Embiid?
Fans in Philadelphia can begin to breathe easy after a tumultuous offseason.
After another early playoff exit and discussions of All-Star Ben Simmons being on the trading block, it has not been an easy summer for the Philadelphia 76ers, but they finally had reason to smile Tuesday, thanks to the news that center Joel Embiid has signed a contract extension that locks him in with the franchise for four more seasons.
The $196 million added to the last year of Embiid's current deal will bring his total earnings through the 2026-27 season to $261 million.
Embiid negotiated the deal himself and was in line for a new max extension after finishing second in MVP voting in the 2020-21 season.
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There is reason to see this deal as a win for both sides, with Embiid coming off his best season yet, averaging a career-high 28.5 points while shooting career highs from the field (51.3%), 3-point range (37.7%) and the free-throw line (85.9%). Philly finished first in the Eastern Conference in the regular season, with a record of 49-23.
The Sixers' .681 winning percentage this past season is the highest of the Embiid era in Philadelphia, which would have been good enough for nearly 56 wins across an 82-game schedule (this past season was 72 games).
The Sixers' regular-season high in wins since drafting Embiid is 52 games, which came in the 2017-18 season.
But as great as Embiid has been when in the lineup, with four straight All-Star selections, his time on the floor has been limited, and as Colin Cowherd pointed out on "The Herd," this deal could prove risky for the Sixers.
"This comes obviously with a major risk," Cowherd said. "He was drafted in 2014. He has played in less than 50% of the games – 48%. And he was hurt in the playoffs last year."
After being drafted in 2014, Embiid did not play his first two seasons in the NBA due to multiple foot injuries.
Upon making his debut in 2016, he was able to play only 31 games due to a left meniscus injury. That left knee has proven to be worrisome for Embiid for the duration of his career, with him missing eight consecutive games in 2019 due to left knee soreness and 10 games this past season because of a bone bruise in the same knee.
His right knee also became an issue this past season, when he suffered a partially torn meniscus in the knee, which he played with the entire postseason. He has yet to play more than 64 games in any regular season.
Despite the injury history, Skip Bayless said on "Undisputed" that he believes Embiid is capable of leading the Sixers to a championship, provided they don't trade Simmons.
"I believe they are highly capable of winning a championship, but I believe in Ben Simmons," Bayless said. "I wouldn't give him up. He's too valuable to give up."
Shannon Sharpe disagreed. He believes that Simmons must be traded and that without knowing what kind of players the 76ers would get in return, not to mention Embiid's injury status, it's impossible to predict a championship coming to Philadelphia.
"I just don't see it happening, Skip," Sharpe said. "This contract might age bad in three years, given his injury history."
There is no denying Embiid's ability to dominate when healthy. But whether he will be on the court enough to make the 76ers a championship threat remains to be seen.
The 76ers, though, believe Embiid is worth the gamble. They're ready to continue to trust the process.
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