General manager Daryl Morey nailed his destiny to the mast of a sinking ship that has shown no signs of recovery -- now it is the Philadelphia 76ers who are haunted by the consequences of his woeful judgment. The Sixers are suffering yet another injury crisis, and with a large percentage of the franchise's salary cap consumed by Joel Embiid and Paul George, few options could ease this ailment.
After suffering an adductor strain in the embarrassing 144-103 defeat to the Orlando Magic, Trendon Watford has heaped more pressure on the 76ers, as he joins an endless list of injuries that have negatively impacted the team's performance.
Watford will now join Embiid (out), George (day-to-day), Kelly Oubre Jr (out), Adem Bona (out), and VJ Edgecombe (day-to-day) on Philadelphia's injury report. A crisis of this manner would usually force a team with championship ambitions into free agency and/or the trade market to rectify the problems it is having with its roster. Nevertheless, Morey's hands are tied due to a string of atrocious decisions.
Embiid and George's contracts are unforgivable
Everyone knows the outrageous talent that both Joel Embiid and Paul George possess when they are on the court. The former is arguably one of the most dominant centers in NBA history. At the same time, the latter has built a successful career on his explosive offensive actions and ability to provide expertise on defense.
On paper, not only is this a match made in heaven, but it would be a fool's errand not to keep players of this calibre on Philadelphia's roster for years to come. As we know, championships are not won on paper. They are won on stability, consistency, and luck -- three things that this duo simply have not been blessed with.
Despite Embiid missing approximately 411 games in his career (while featuring in 458), his three-year contract extension, worth a reported $192.2 million, will not commence until the start of the 2026-27 season, running through until the end of the 2028-29 campaign.
In addition, George signed a four-year, $212 million contract in July 2024, which reportedly includes a player-option for the 2026-27 season. In an attempt to put this contract into perspective, the 35-year-old has only featured in 44 fixtures since this deal was signed.
With such a large percentage of the 76ers' salary cap committed to two players -- who are undeniably brilliant when they are fully functional -- the franchise will struggle to bolster a roster that is slowly being ravaged by numerous injury issues.
If this injury curse does not ease over the coming weeks, the Philadelphia 76ers will be staring down the barrel of another disastrous campaign. If that is the case, Daryl Morey's future will be intensely scrutinized by a fan base that is clamouring for success. Actions have consequences, and the Sixers' general manager may be about to learn this in the most brutal way possible.