By Shams Sarania, Mike Workunov, John Hollinger and Jenna West
The Philadelphia 76ers and star center Joel Embiid have agreed to a max contract extension worth $192.9 million, according to league sources. The deal, which includes a player option for the 2028-29 season, extends his contract to a total of five years and is worth a total of $299.55 million, sources said.
Embiid will receive $51.5 million in 2024-25 and $55.2 million in 2025-26 under the terms of his pre-extension contract. He’ll make up to $59.54 million in 2026-27 — the maximum salary he could earn if the salary cap is raised by at least 10 percent for each of the next two seasons, as expected. That would result in salaries of $64.3 million in 2027-28 and $69.07 million in 2028-29, an eight percent raise over the next two seasons.
Embiid’s contract is the third-richest in NBA history behind Jayson Tatum (five-year, $314 million extension) and Jaylen Brown (five-year, $304 million extension). Tatum and Brown signed their extensions in July.
The Sixers announced Friday that they had signed Embiid to a multi-year extension, but did not disclose the terms of the deal.
Embiid confirmed the deal in an Instagram post, including a photo of him signing the deal.
“Philadelphia is home. I want to be here for the rest of my life,” Embiid wrote. “I love this community and everything you’ve given me and my family. There’s still a lot of work to do. You guys deserve a championship and I think we’re just getting started!”
The extension ties Embiid to the Sixers until the age of 35 if the player picks up the option at the end of the contract. This will ensure that he stays on contract through his prime. The extension comes just months after the Sixers signed Paul George and put together the best roster Embiid has ever had with the 76ers.
The team has some risk. Embiid has been dogged by injuries throughout his career; Philadelphia could pay the 35-year-old Embiid the max in 2028-29. There are few players with his size, agility and skillset, so Embiid could be an outsider.
Signing him now reduces any uncertainty for a contract year, and Embiid is getting a big payday.
Embiid, 30, has spent his entire NBA career with the Sixers, who went No. 3 in 2014. He missed his first two seasons with Philadelphia after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right leg just days before the NBA draft. Embiid debuted in October 2016 and finished third in NBA Rookie of the Year voting that season. He earned seven straight All-Star selections starting in the 2017-18 season.
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The colorful world of Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid
In 433 regular season games, he averaged 27.9 points and 11.2 rebounds. Embiid led the league in points per game in 2021-22 (30.6 points) and 2022-23 (33.1). He capped off that dominant season by winning the NBA MVP.
Last season, Embiid averaged 34.1 points per game, but he missed 43 games, including recovering from surgery to repair a lateral meniscus in his left knee.
Embiid has led the Sixers to seven straight playoff appearances, but the team has yet to reach the NBA Finals during his tenure. He won a gold medal with the US team at the Paris Olympics this year.
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(Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
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