This season has been a nightmare for just about everyone in the Sixers‘ organization, from ownership to the front office, coaches, and players. At the center of it all is Joel Embiid, the organization’s star and one of the most dominant players in the history of the game when healthy.
Embiid has been at the core of the team’s success for the last eight years, but his injury history has held back not only his own greatness but the team’s, particularly in the playoffs. He has only been healthy during one playoff run, which was during the NBA Bubble postseason.
This season seemed to have the most turmoil surrounding the former MVP, ranging from his decision to play in the Olympics for Team USA to the time he missed to start the season, being called out in a team meeting by his younger co-star Tyrese Maxey, and even his encounter with a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist in the locker room. Now, there’s even news from NBA Insider Shams Charania about possible tension between Joel Embiid and the Sixers.
“One thing as well to keep in mind here going into the offseason, there was some tension there between Joel Embiid and that front office from my understanding,” Charania said during a recent segment on ESPN’s First Take. “The team believed he needed to play at some point…he felt like he needed surgery”.
There have always been rumors about Embiid’s desire to control the narrative of his injuries and how they were reported. It was also rumored that he went to Sixers’ owner Josh Harris to discuss sitting out to determine what surgical path would be needed for him to begin to feel better, bypassing the front office.
This reporting from Shams may be breadcrumbs that could lead to a possible divorce between the Sixers and arguably the best player in franchise history. If Daryl Morey and Embiid can’t loosen up the tension, they could be headed down a path similar to what happened with James Harden.
The organization continued to show its commitment to Embiid by signing him to a three-year extension worth $193 million, potentially tying him to the organization until the 2028-29 season. They have also continued to build the team with him as the focal point, signing players that fit best around his play style.
Embiid has stated on multiple occasions that he wants to retire in Philadelphia and that the city is his home. Two summers ago, his name was connected in trade rumors with the New York Knicks, but those rumors led to nothing substantial, and the Sixers rebuilt what they thought was a championship roster around him.
The Sixers recently announced that Embiid would undergo an arthroscopic knee procedure to help alleviate some of the knee issues he dealt with this season. Hopefully, with this procedure and proper rehab, he can return to his previous MVP form.
With the entire offseason to come, don’t be surprised if further leaks continue, which could lead to an ugly divorce between a team that wants its star to play and a player whose confidence may be dwindling in his front office.
