After Joel Embiid received his supermax extension last week, many in the media were quick to bring up the injury history of the four-time All-Star. It’s fair to say that the list of injuries is extensive, as many Sixers fans will remember the missed first two years of foot injuries and all of the knee injuries since then. That includes a torn meniscus in the 2021 NBA Playoffs vs. Washington.
Deadspin’s take was that Embiid’s health will ultimately keep them from reaching an NBA Finals and make the contract look bad at the end. For a few key reasons, the “injury” reactions to Embiid’s new contract miss the mark for me:
Joel Embiid’s contract extension is all about the Sixers’ window
Embiid will be 33 by the end of his supermax extension. It’s unlikely that he’ll still be in his prime by the time we actually arrive in the year 2027, considering his size, injuries, and the position he plays.
The thing about supermax extensions though is that they’re not given based on future production. They’re based on what a player is currently. If the goal of the Sixers is to win a championship within the next three or four years, Embiid’s prime is part of maximizing that. Making the long term commitment is the price to pay for his prime.
Take a look at the max extension that Pat Riley just paid Jimmy Butler. In his age 36 season in 2025, Butler will make $52 million. Is that absolutely insane? Yes. But again, it’s the price a franchise pays to keep their contending window open for longer.
Unlike Butler, Embiid is a clear top 10 NBA player who was the runner-up for the 2021 MVP award. Relative to other max extensions, Embiid’s makes sense at the time of signing. Perhaps it won’t age gracefully in six years, but it doesn’t need to. The championship window for the Sixers is right now with the way Embiid is playing and that’s what they’re really paying for.