October 09, 2017

Joel Embiid reportedly signs 5-year, $148 million extension with Sixers

By Kyle Neubeck
PhillyVoice Staff

The Sixers have seen what Joel Embiid can do when he's healthy enough to stay on the court, and he was as impactful as any player in the league last season. Now they're betting on that to hold, after reportedly handing him a 5-year, $148 million max contract that will keep him in Philadelphia through the 2022-23 NBA season.

This news comes courtesy of ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, whose word is as ironclad as it gets in NBA circles. The contract details are murky for the time being, as Woj detailed the following at the end of his report:

The deal will include some salary cap protection for the 76ers should Embiid sustain injury that causes him to miss significant playing time, league sources said.

Percentages are important here. If the Sixers are only protected on, let's say 10 percent of the deal, they're up a creek without a paddle if he's never able to remain healthy. But if the number is closer to 50 percent, as has been suggested by some NBA insiders, that's a gamble the Sixers absolutely had to take. Handing a 5-year, $74 million dollar contract to a guy who couldn't stay on the court wouldn't be great, but there are worse contracts handed down every offseason; it would be less per year than the Lakers paid Timofey Mozgov just last summer.

There will be a fair amount of questions about the timing of the deal, and they're warranted. With Embiid having missed a lot of preseason so far, the Sixers could have easily stood pat and waited for Embiid to prove he can stay healthy over a full season. They would have controlled his rights in restricted free agency next summer, and provided he had the season they hope he will, they would have been happy to hand him or match the same deal next offseason.

But as much as anything, this signing is a statement of intent. Embiid is the foundation upon which the Sixers will build their cathedral. Bryan Colangelo and his staff have made no secret of their prioritization of relationships, and investing this money in Embiid sends a clear message to players (and agents) around the league. Rather than shying away from a big risk, management is rewarding a player who has sacrificed a lot just to get on the court at all, whose influence is felt every time he steps on the floor.

The Sixers, according to team sources who spoke with Philly Voice, would like to chase max-level free agents next offseason, and their moves this past summer—including the massive one-year-deal handed out to JJ Redick—were all made with that goal in mind. Maybe the Sixers have no real shot at LeBron James, but internally, they want their foundation set and their books in order when the time comes to go after players like him. You never know what could happen between now and July.

Handing out a player-friendly deal does not go unnoticed in league circles. This could cut two ways depending on how things shake out. If Embiid's health issues never relent, Colangelo is the "dumb money" at the poker table, ready to be taken advantage of at any time. But if he stays healthy, he has not only locked down one of the most promising young talents in the league, he has likely bought himself just a little bit extra loyalty and patience from his young big man. The message is clear: "We're putting our faith in you, now do the same for us in return."

Some of you will gasp at the potential earnings, but there are few better ways for the Sixers to invest that money than to gamble on Embiid's talent. Yes, it is still a mighty gamble, but there are worse things to gamble on than a generational talent at the five spot.

So long as he stays healthy, things are going to be pretty fun in South Philly.