Sixers, Joel Embiid agree to three-year max contract extension: 'I want to be here the rest of my career'


NBA superstar Joel Embiid is now tied to the Philadelphia 76ers for the foreseeable future. 

The team and Embiid have agreed to a contract extension worth an estimated $193 million, according to multiple reports.

The center has become one of the most dominant players in the NBA. He was named the league MVP following his standout 2023 season. Embiid also won a gold medal with Team USA earlier this year at the Paris Olympics.

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Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid reacts during Game 3 of the first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on April 25. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The extension includes a player option for the 2028-29 season, sources told The Associated Press. Embiid, a seven-time NBA All-Star, shared a photo of himself signing a contract alongside Sixers team owner Josh Harris.

“I want to be here the rest of my career. I love this community and everything you’ve given me and my family,” Embiid wrote Friday on social media. “There is a lot more work to do. You guys deserve a championship and I think we’re just getting started.”

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Embiid, who dropped a franchise-record 70 points against the San Antonio Spurs last season, signed off with the familiar 76ers hashtag, “#trusttheprocess.”

Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid of Team USA looks on before the Olympic game against the Serbian Men’s National Team at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Paris on July 28. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

Embiid inked a $196 million extension ahead of the 2021 season. The Sixers have now come to terms with three cornerstone players this offseason.

The team convinced Paul George to leave the Los Angeles Clippers and sign a four-year, $212 million contract, while the NBA’s Most Improved Player last season, Tyrese Maxey, was rewarded with a five-year, $204 million extension. 

Philadelphia committed more than $400 million in salary to two players they believe position them as the top contender to dethrone the NBA champion Boston Celtics. The Sixers have not won an NBA title since 1983.

Joel Embiid 2

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots over Isaiah Hartenstein of the New York Knicks during Game 4 of their first-round playoff series at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on April 28.  (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Embiid does have a history of injuries and has yet to lead the franchise out of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. He has never played more than 68 games in a season and averaged 34.7 points in just 39 games last season.

Embiid has earned five All-NBA Team honors, seven consecutive All-Star selections from 2017-24, three All-Defensive Team nods and has been the NBA scoring champion on two occasions.

“Joel has cemented himself as one of the greatest Sixers of all time and is well on his way to being one of the best players to ever play the game. We’re ecstatic that this extension keeps him and his family in Philadelphia for years to come,” Harris said. “Joel is a great family man, leader, and person. He is an elite two-way player with a combination of size, strength, and athleticism that this league has rarely — if ever — seen. He is integral to this franchise’s quest for another NBA Championship, and we are honored that he continues to choose this organization as his NBA home.

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In 433 games with the franchise, Embiid has averaged 27.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 blocked shots across 31.9 minutes per contest. He ranks first in team history in scoring average (27.9 points per game), fifth in blocked shots (720), tied for sixth in triple-doubles (seven) and seventh in total points scored (12,071).

“I had no idea when I was drafted as a 20-year-old kid from Cameroon how lucky I was to be in Philadelphia,” Embiid said in a team statement. “Through all the ups and downs, this city and the fans have been everything, and I am so grateful for how they’ve embraced me.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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