The window for the 76ers to extend Joel Embiid’s contract opens on July 18 amid an offseason filled with organizational changes.
The Sixers will be able to negotiate a three-year extension worth $193.5 million, in addition to the $106.6 million he will earn over the next two seasons. Embiid will have a $59 million player option for the 2026-27 season without the extension.
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On paper, this extension seems like a no-brainer for Embiid and the Sixers.
The 7-foot-1, 280-pounder is a seven-time All-Star who won the MVP award in 2023. At 30 years old, he is in the prime of his career and would be locked in through the 2028-29 season. However, critics could argue that his extensive injury history could make the cost of a new extension prohibitive. Embiid would earn $59.7 million (2026-27), $64.5 million (2027-28) and $69.3 million (2028-29) over the three years of a new extension.
He has missed 336 games, the equivalent of four seasons, since he was selected third in the 2014 NBA Draft. Despite this, Embiid remains one of the faces of the NBA. And his presence alone gives the “win now” Sixers their best chance to compete.
That’s part of the reason the Sixers are determined to upgrade the roster around him and Tyrese Maxey in pursuit of the 2025 NBA title. Embiid, Paul Reed and Ricky Council IV are the only players under contract more beyond this season, with Reed and Council on non-guaranteed deals.
The Sixers could have about $65 million available in cap space when free agency begins at 6 p.m. on June 30. They will also have five first-round picks and multiple pick swaps over multiple seasons available to trade, starting at the start. of the NBA draft on June 26 and 27. That will include a first-round pick (No. 16) and a second-round pick (No. 41) in this draft.
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The Sixers want a max-salary player via free agency or a trade from a group that includes Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat and Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans. .
The team is also expected to re-sign Maxey, an All-Star point guard, to a five-year, $205 million contract.
When healthy, Embiid is arguably the best player in the league. He has averages of 27.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.7 blocks and 3.4 turnovers in 488 career games.
Embiid is a two-time scoring champion, five-time All-NBA selection, three-time all-defensive selection, three-time Eastern Conference Player of the Month and 12-time Player of the Week.
He averaged 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks playing in just 39 games this season due to a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee.
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Before his injury, the Sixers star’s 2023-24 season was compared to Wilt Chamberlain’s production.
The highlight of Embiid’s season came when he produced a franchise-record 70 points to go along with 18 rebounds, five assists and just one turnover in a 133-123 home win over the San Antonio Spurs on the 22nd. January at the Wells Fargo Center.
The performance marked the first time in league history that a player recorded at least 70 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a game. At the time, Embiid’s point total was an NBA season high, surpassing the 64 points that Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo scored against the Indiana Pacers on December 13. Dallas Maverick point guard Luka Dončić surpassed Embiid with a 73-point performance in a 148-143 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on January 26.
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