The Philadelphia 76ers have been on the receiving end of their share of doom and gloom headlines over the past two seasons. Joel Embiid has played just 58 games during that time, and All-NBA signing Paul George appeared in just 41 during his first campaign in Philadelphia.
The silver lining that the injuries to Embiid and George have provided is that the 76ers are in a truly unique position with three All-Stars and a top-3 pick on their roster.
Embiid, 31, and George, 35, will play a direct role in deciding how far the current roster is able to go. In addition to Embiid being a former MVP and George having six All-NBA nods on his résumé, the two will make a combined $106,890,616 in 2025-26 and $112,226,380 in 2026-27.
George also has a $56,586,670 player option for the 2027-28 season, while Embiid will make $62,748,000 in 2027-28 and has a $67,396,000 player option for 2028-29.
That certainly paints a concerning picture when factoring in the injuries that have plagued the two future Hall of Famers. What their absences have provided the 76ers with, however, is the opportunity to select VJ Edgecombe at No. 3 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.
In turn, Philadelphia may very well have formed its star duo of the future while figuring out if Embiid and George can be readily available to play.
76ers' stellar core: VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey and two All-NBA stars
Edgecombe, 20, and Maxey, 24, represent the opportunity for the 76ers to build a sustainably competitive team for the next decade. Maxey has already won the Most Improved Player award and earned All-Star honors for a stellar 2023-24 campaign.
In addition to averaging 25.9 points and 6.2 assists per game, Maxey led the 76ers to 47 wins and a playoff appearance despite Embiid missing 43 games in 2023-24.
Edgecombe, meanwhile, has already begun turning heads with clear displays of his profound potential as a two-way player. The 2024-25 Big 12 Freshman of the Year was heralded coming out of college as an explosive athlete with film suggesting he can be a true lockdown defender.
What Summer League and the preseason have revealed is how much closer Edgecombe is to excelling as a shot creator than even the 76ers expected him to be.
Embiid and George will play an unavoidable role in defining Philadelphia's ceiling through at least the 2026-27 season. Edgecombe has given the 76ers the tools to build a potentially elite backcourt, however, that doesn't need Embiid or George on the court in order to thrive and even deliver postseason appearances.
Philadelphia also has first-round draft picks in every class between 2027 and 2032, meaning the opportunity will soon exist to strengthen the young core.
That process could begin in another way if Quentin Grimes builds upon his breakout season in 2024-25. Regardless of what else transpires, however, the 76ers are in a unique position as a team with two potentially challenging contracts belonging to All-NBA players and two exceedingly promising guards.
It's not a perfect situation, but most teams with injury-plagued stars would give anything to be in the position Philadelphia has created for itself.