According to Ramona Sherbourne of ESPN, the Sixers and Joel Embiid are in the process of finalizing a four-year supermax extension worth $196 million.
This should come as no surprise given that the Cameroonian is coming off of an MVP-level campaign that lifted the Sixers to their most promising position in over a decade. He averaged 28.5 points (4th in NBA), 10.6 rebounds (11th in NBA), 2.8 assists, 1.4 blocks (13th in NBA), and 1 steal per game.
‘The Process’ also ranked 2nd in the league in usage rate (35.3%), player efficiency rating (30.3), and win shares per 48 minutes (.266). The Sixers recorded a +13 point differential per 100 possession when Embiid was on the court, scoring 10.5 more points per 100 possessions, and also saw increases in field-goal percentage and free-throw rate compared to when he wasn’t playing.
Embiid was still technically in the third year of a five-year- $147 million extension, so this extension will not kick in until the 2023-2024 season, keeping him on the roster until 2026/27.
This is huge for the Sixers. Embiid is incredibly deserving of this and it also means fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that there isn’t going to be a shock move out of left-field any time soon.
A super max extension is obviously a huge commitment and the Sixers aren’t exactly swimming in cap space right now, with some big decisions ahead of them. The futures of Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons are bound to be up in the air, but Sixers GM Daryl Morey has ensured that the team will retain its most valuable asset regardless of what happens over the next few years, cementing his status as the man at the epicenter of the Sixers and acting as their cornerstone to build around both now and for years to come.
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