Why the 76ers Should Trade Joel Embiid: A Case for Resetting Philadelphia’s Future

By Edcel Panganiban April 22, 2025 14:43

The Philadelphia 76ers are at a crossroads. Joel Embiid, once the face of “The Process” and a perennial MVP candidate, now finds himself at the center of a difficult question: Is it time for the Sixers to move on? With his health in decline, contract ballooning, and the team’s championship window closing, the argument for trading Embiid has never been stronger.

1. Declining Health and Availability

Embiid’s injury history is no secret. Even before he played an NBA game, Embiid missed two full seasons with foot issues. Since then, he’s suffered torn menisci, orbital fractures, back problems, and persistent knee injuries. This season, he played just 19 games, averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists—a far cry from his MVP numbers. More concerning, he’s reportedly considering another knee surgery that could sideline him for up to two seasons, with no guarantee of a full recovery. Sports medicine experts warn that the procedure he’s contemplating is so experimental, it could end his career, or at minimum, leave him a shadow of his former self.

As one league executive put it, “You can’t build a championship team around a superstar who’s only available half the time.” The Sixers have lived this reality for years, and it’s only getting worse.

2. The Contract Problem

Embiid’s supermax contract is among the most onerous in the league. He’s owed $248 million over the next four seasons, with annual salaries rising from $55 million to nearly $70 million by 2029. For a player turning 31 and facing major health questions, this is a massive cap anchor. Any team acquiring Embiid would be paying superstar money for potentially little on-court return, and for the Sixers, his deal severely limits roster flexibility and the ability to add talent around Tyrese Maxey and a promising young core.

As Sporting News notes, “There’s never been a player on Embiid’s level with this much risk left on his deal. Teams would be crazy to take on the risk of paying him almost $200 million when he could conceivably sit out for the entire duration of that deal.”

3. Diminishing Trade Value

Embiid’s trade value is at a crossroads. While he’s still a dominant force when healthy, his market is “very solidly negative” due to his contract and health. The Sixers would likely need to attach draft assets or take back bad contracts just to move him. That said, desperate teams—like the Lakers or Mavericks—might still gamble on his upside, especially if Philadelphia sweetens the pot with picks. But waiting longer risks further devaluing him if injuries persist.

One NBA insider summed it up: “Someone would trade for Embiid right this second if they could. Saying no one would is silly. But the Sixers would have to be realistic about the return.”

4. The Window Is Closing

The Sixers’ core is getting younger. Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes, and rookies like Jared McCain and Justin Edwards are all 24 or younger. Embiid’s timeline no longer matches theirs. With the team poised to add another top draft pick, it’s time to build around youth and flexibility rather than an aging, injury-prone superstar.

As PhillyVoice observed, “It feels as if the window in which the team can seriously contend with him at the center of it all is shutting quickly due to availability concerns and a decline in performance as a result of constant knee issues.”

5. A Chance to Reset

Trading Embiid now, painful as it may be, gives Philadelphia a chance to reset. By moving on, the Sixers could recoup picks, shed salary, and accelerate a rebuild around Maxey and their young core. It’s a bold move, but sometimes the hardest decisions are the right ones.

As one fan put it, “This player sacrificed a significant amount of his cartilage to achieve an MVP title and an Olympic gold medal. A team that is focused on rebuilding might consider that trade worthwhile.”

The Bottom Line

Joel Embiid will go down as one of the greatest Sixers of all time. But with his health in decline, contract ballooning, and the team’s future trending younger, the time has come for Philadelphia to consider a trade. It’s not just about moving on from a superstar—it’s about giving the franchise its best shot at the next era of contention.