The Philadelphia 76ers managed to outperform the unfair expectations levied on their heads this season. Despite going through the rough ebbs and flows of yet another injury-laden campaign, they were able to get past the first round and advance to the semis. They did get swept at that point to get booted out of the playoffs, but of paramount importance is the fact that they finished their season while being relatively healthy.
It is in moving forward where the 76ers stand to lie on a shaky footing, though. Joel Embiid will see his albatross contract extension kick in next season, and that remains a ghastly fact the team has to deal with. Unfortunately, they do not have a clear way out to get relief from his deal. Simply put, the franchise is stuck with its exorbitantly expensive superstar.
While that proposition is not necessarily a definitively bad one, there is more to not like about Embiid’s current contract. He may have proven that he is still an elite talent when healthy, but the path to get there is an actual trek. There is simply no guarantee that the former Most Valuable Player can still be that imposing force as his deal ages.
The 76ers are stuck with Joel Embiid with no way out
As bared by NBA insider Marc Stein, there is no market for Embiid at the moment. His injuries, which have only gotten more varied as of late, as well as his aging body, have become huge deterrents to the prospect of the team being able to find a taker for his services.
Embiid still has three years and $188 million left on his current deal, which is going to be a huge turn off for the other ball clubs. At this juncture, no sensible front office will even entertain the idea of trading for him and absorbing his deal no matter how elite he remains as a basketball stud.
The most striking thing about this situation is that there is a huge asterisk appended to the Embiid status quo. Sure, he might have been successful in proving that he is still a dominant force as a player when he is out there playing, but there is literally no guarantee that he will even have the opportunity to keep displaying his brilliance. His exhaustive injury track record and age do not give him any favors in that regard.
For now, the 76ers still badly need Joel Embiid in their quest to win a championship, but that has an expiration date to it. Unfortunately, if it comes before his contract ends, they will have to deal with a grim situation which presupposes a complete lack of escape therefrom.
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