The Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to a contract extension with center Joel Embiid, 76ers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo announced today. The new contract extends Embiid through the 2022-23 campaign.
“Since drafting Joel third overall in 2014, he has solidified himself as a pillar in this franchise and to this city,” said Josh Harris, 76ers Managing General Partner. “We have all enjoyed watching the hard work he puts into his game and the commitment he has for our organization. We are excited to further build our foundation around his unique talent and leadership skills, and we look forward to the continued growth of Joel and our team.”
“We’re fortunate to be able to build around a player who possesses such unique, transcendent talent as Joel,” David Blitzer, 76ers Co-Managing General Partner, said. “His rare blend of offensive and defensive prowess, paired with his infectious personality, makes him one of the NBA’s fastest rising global stars. The future of this team is bright and we look forward to having Joel on the floor as a 76er for many years to come.”
“Joel Embiid is a transformative young talent that you rarely come across in our game,” said Colangelo. “Joel is only scratching the surface, but he has all the potential and promise to go down as one of the all-time greats to wear a Sixers jersey. Ownership’s willingness to extend this contract reflects our collective belief in Joel Embiid and a reinforced commitment to building a championship-level basketball program.”
Embiid appeared in 31 games (all starts) in 2016-17, averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.5 blocks in 25 minutes per game. He shot .466 from the field, .367 from three-point range (ranked fourth among all NBA centers, min. 70 attempts) and .783 from the free-throw line. He led all rookies in points, rebounds and blocks per game and his averages in those categories were the highest of any NBA rookie since 2011, when the Clippers’ Blake Griffin earned Rookie of the Year honors.
“I’m so thrilled to be in this position,” said Embiid. “I want to thank ownership, management, the coaches and most of all the fans, for supporting me throughout this whole process. I love this city and I’m so, so, so, so excited to be spending my next five years here and hopefully the rest of my career, God willing. Trust ‘The Process.’”
The Cameroon native scored 20-or-more points 19 times in his rookie season, which led all first-year players. Embiid posted at least 20 points in 10-straight games from December 23 through January 18, as he became the first rookie to score 20-plus in at least 10 consecutive contests since Griffin did so in 14 straight in 2011. The Philadelphia big man is the only player in the shot clock era to average at least 20 points per game while playing less than 26 minutes per contest (min. 30 games played). He scored in double-figures in his first 15 career games and in 30 of his 31 games overall. He was one of six NBA rookies to score at least 10 points in a minimum of 30 games in 2016-17.
The 7-0 center was originally selected by Philadelphia with the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft after one season at the University of Kansas. As a freshman, he was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and Second Team All-Big 12.
