Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid values the idea of having a “one-team legacy,” according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz.
“Embiid has told people close to him for years that he values the idea of a one-team legacy,” Katz wrote. “There is a long way to go between vague comments about the mystical land of ‘anywhere else’ and an official trade request.”
It was recently reported that the Sixers believe Embiid wants to follow in the footsteps of players like Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki by staying with one team forever. That came after Embiid’s comments where he said he wants to win a championship in Philly “or anywhere else.”
Embiid is under contract with the Sixers for several more seasons, so Philly doesn’t need to worry about him leaving in free agency anytime soon. Embiid’s current deal runs through at least the 2025-26 season and has a player option for the 2026-27 campaign.
In the 2022-23 season, Embiid captured his first MVP award while leading the Sixers to the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. He averaged 33.1 points per game to capture his second straight scoring title.
The former lottery pick also averaged 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 54.8 percent from the field and 33.0 percent from beyond the arc.
However, the Sixers have not made it out of the second round during Embiid’s time with the team, and the 2022-23 season brought yet another tough playoff loss.
Philly led 3-2 in its series with the Boston Celtics in the second round before dropping both Game 6 (at home) and Game 7 (in Boston) to lose the series. In Game 7, Embiid shot just 5-for-18 from the field (0-for-4 from 3) and scored 15 points.
The Sixers may soon move on from James Harden — who opted into the final year of his contract this offseason — which may set the team back a bit depending on what it gets in return in a trade.
Still, the fact that Embiid values the idea of sticking with one franchise is a positive sign for Sixers fans.
Now, it is up to the reigning MVP to bring a title home to Philly to allow him to build a one-team legacy that will be remembered for ages.
