Betting platform exposes an ugly truth the 76ers cannot escape from

You know it is not good when a betting platform dishes out an absolute fact anyone cannot contradict.

CBS recently listed down the worst contracts in the NBA, which was echoed by Kalshi Sports. In there, the Philadelphia 76ers topped the list thanks to Joel Embiid, who was pegged as having the most burdensome contract in the entire association thanks to his mammoth deal that runs through the 2028-29 season.

In the summer of 2024, Embiid signed a three-year, $188,244,000 contract with the 76ers which was an anticipatory extension for his deal which was still running at that juncture. However, suffice to say that the front office did not exercise the required degree of prudence when they made that offer. After all, the former Most Valuable Player has become a detriment to the team’s ability to upgrade the roster due to his colossal spot in the payroll.

Indeed, Embiid has the worst contract in the league, although it is most certainly not imputable to his level of play. What makes his current deal so unappetizing is the fact that he simply has not been available for the most part, and everyone knows, the best ability is still availability.

The 76ers have the worst contract in the league in Joel Embiid

While Embiid has shown this season that he is still an elite player when healthy, his problems staying on the floor makes him a negative asset for most other teams. The 76ers have zero chance of being able to ship him via trade. And given the humongous amount of money they have invested in Embiid, they are basically stuck with him for the duration of his contract.

His nearly terminal knee issues aside, Embiid has become so prone to those recurring injuries that he incurs in different parts of his body. Sure, there is some degree of bad luck and negative kismet at play here, but one cannot just gloss over the fact that Embiid is already on the wrong side of 30 and has already dealt with a handful of injuries over the course of his career.

Expecting the status quo with Embiid to change anytime soon is an audacious proposition that finds no basis in facts and precedence. He will keep missing a lot of games as part of an effort to prolong his career, but that only reiterates the ugly fact that the 76ers basically play house to a part-time star who, in reality, has only macerated their spending power to improve the roster.