The Philadelphia 76ers changed Joel Embiid’s status from “out indefinitely” to “out for the rest of the season” on Wednesday after an MRI scan on his left knee revealed a pre-existing meniscus tear was “more pronounced,” the team announced.
Joel Embiid is eligible for a contract extension this summer. What will the Sixers do?
Philadelphia could extend its rookie phenom this off-season or wait until his restricted free agency next summer.
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
He has played in just 31 games this season but has been the league’s most dominant rookie by far, averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 block per game. Embiid’s status update marks the finale of a brilliant rookie season cut short.
It also is a prelude a difficult decision the 76ers must make regarding the big man’s future moving forward: Does Philadelphia extend Embiid’s contract this summer?
The Sixers drafted Embiid third overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. Foot injuries delayed his career debut for two years, but the talented center was under contract since he signed his deal after being drafted. That means he’s eligible for an extension despite playing just 13 percent of his team’s games over his first three years.
Up until next opening day, the Sixers will be able to offer him a contract extension to lock him down in Philly for the foreseeable future. If they do not come to an arrangement by then, he’ll be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2018.
We rarely get a rookie contract negotiation this strange. How will Philadelphia respond?
The case for extending Embiid
The only players in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in their rookie seasons are David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and Alonzo Mourning, according to Basketball-Reference. Embiid has done so on a minutes restriction.
When healthy, the Sixers’ big man has proven to be a franchise-changer on both ends of the floor. Signing him to an extension while he’s hurt signals the franchise’s public backing of a player who has dealt with devastating injuries in each year of his early career.
If the 76ers can agree to a deal for less than the maximum contract, that’d also ensure his salary remains constant, regardless of a future salary cap spike.
The case for waiting
Embiid becomes a restricted free agent in the summer of 2018. That means Philadelphia reserves the right to match any opposing offer on Embiid during free agency. The 76ers can also offer their rookie big man more years at a higher salary than any other team.
Embiid has shown he was worth way more than his standing as the No. 3 overall pick in 2014. He’s also shown an inability to consistently remain on the court.
Standing pat this summer allows Philadelphia to evaluate Embiid’s health and development for another season before committing a huge chunk of cash and time to a player who has played fewer games than Greg Oden at the beginning of his career.
Waiting makes more sense
Waiting until Embiid becomes a restricted free agent affords the Sixers one more opportunity to take a deep look at their franchise pillar before committing to him for the next half-decade. Why not wait to fork over a massive payday until they’re sure if he can stay healthy a full season?
Embiid will still get his top dollar value in free agency — provided he stays healthy — and the Sixers will have the final say in whether they bring back their dominant big man. It makes no sense for the Sixers to rush into contract negotiations while their center is recovering, unless Philadelphia is looking to lock his contract in now.
They should take next season as an opportunity to make sure that’s the right move, first.
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