Philadelphia 76ers: Future outlook of Joel Embiid in Philadelphia

There are questions about Joel Embiid’s future on the Philadelphia 76ers.

This is the last article for this year covering the future outlooks of players on the Philadelphia 76ers. With that in mind, the Sixers best player was saved for last. Despite being an elite player in the NBA, there are some questions about Joel Embiid‘s future with the club.

Embiid is an elite two-way big man and is one of the best defensive centers in the NBA. Despite it being a down season for the big man, he’s still averaging 23.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 blocks. There’s no denying that Embiid’s a special player, but there’s still some question surrounding him.

Embiid’s future.

When I wrote about point guard Ben Simmons’ future with the 76ers, I articulated what could happen if he and Embiid prove to be incompatible for the long-term.

"“In the event that Philly decides that they can’t make Simmons and Embiid work out as a duo, Embiid is the one more likely to be traded.”"

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With that being said, I don’t think that Philly should or will get to that point. I believe the duo can work if surrounded by the right type of players, which they currently aren’t. It would also go a long way if Simmons starts taking jumpers, but even if he doesn’t, if they surrounding them with shooters, then the duo should be fine. That being said, there is still one question surround Embiid moving forward.

Embiid’s health has always been a question mark. After being drafted, he didn’t play for two seasons due to recovering from major surgeries. He’s struggled with injuries each season since and hasn’t played any more than 64 games in any one season.

It’s not just the injuries, it’s the conditioning as well. Last postseason was a prime example when he wasn’t in good condition and he could play much in the first round as a result. However, to be fair to him, sometimes his poor conditioning is a result of injuries as was the case last playoffs.

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With fit and health being issues that surround Embiid, it probably won’t be in the immediate future, but sometime down the road, the Philadelphia 76ers may consider trading him. While I personally wouldn’t trade him, there’s a chance the Sixers may decide to build around Simmons for one reason or another and move on from Embiid.