The Philadelphia 76ers have been ridiculed for not having any meaningful success in the playoffs since the Joel Embiid era began, but the undisputed fact remains that the franchise has stood as one of the most successful ball clubs in the league since 2017.
With Embiid, the 2023 Most Valuable Player, leading the way for the franchise, the team has become a perennial threat to the championship race. Now, they indeed have nothing to show for it, although they should have a strong shot to claim their lost glory (for one year) back next season due to the composition of the Eastern Conference.
Long-term, however, is the imminent question for this team. Do the 76ers have what it takes to build a sustainable and long-lasting winning squad? Philly does have a slew of young players who could grow into franchise cornerstones, but no one will consider their young core as an elite nucleus of up-and-comers, especially with the front office so entrenched in their win-now cause.
And to that effect, the team could have a wildly difficult time keeping up with the upstart ball clubs in the NBA, especially in the aftermath of this chilling warning.
The 76ers receive an ominous warning on Joel Embiid and his future in the NBA
Embiid remains the 76ers’ best player, and the team’s chances next season will still depend on whether or not he can continue playing at an MVP level. Unfortunately, even more pressing than that qualifier is his current condition, which remains iffy at best.
At this juncture, the team has not yet signaled anything that suggests that Embiid could be ready for training camp. But to make things even more grim, his future — and not merely his status for the 2025-26 campaign — could perhaps be the cynosure of talks surrounding his health.
In fact, 76ers insider Keith Pompey recently claimed that the superstar knows that his career could be coming to a close sooner than later.
"I think Joel may know that the end is near, and this is just me saying, and is kind of like explaining to the people what he's been going through. Because rarely do you have a guy tell you how much pain and how much they're going through."
"The thing I took from it was, no matter who is there, the culture is the same. And I feel like Joel Embiid knows that, it may not be this season, but the end is near. And maybe he feels as though he can't play at the level that he used to."
Pompey is someone very close to the 76ers brass and familiar with how the front office operates, so this definitely carries some heft — above mere and cursory guesswork.
But if Embiid’s career indeed ends up being on life support, the 76ers could be doomed. First, they are tied to him for four more years at most, and there is a strong chance that the All-Star insists on getting his body right instead of just calling it quits, giving the team a colossal problem on their hands.
That is, without a doubt, a ghastly proposition — one that could send the franchise back years when it comes to roster-building.
Hopefully, Joel Embiid finds a way to surprise everybody next season. After all, if that does not materialize, the Philadelphia 76ers will find themselves in a complete existential crisis about how to deal with their franchise player.