There has been increasing chatter this offseason that Joel Embiid may want out of Philadelphia if the 76ers cannot get over the hump in the playoffs next year, and some recent comments the reigning NBA MVP made seems to have fueled that narrative.
Embiid sat down for a discussion with Maverick Carter at the first annual UNINTERRUPTED Film Festival in Hollywood last Thursday. When asked about his goals for the future, Embiid said he just wants to win a championship. That is a fairly standard response, but what Embiid said next sent some Sixers fans into a bit of a panic.
Was not expecting Joel Embiid to say “or anywhere else” when talking about championships… He’s close to his breaking point here in Philly. pic.twitter.com/0MqXX1rnrT
— AJ Torres (@ajtorres1230) July 17, 2023
“I just want to win a championship, whatever it takes. I don’t know where that’s gonna be, whether it’s in Philly or anywhere else,” Embiid said. “I just want to have a chance to accomplish that and see what it feels like to win that first one and then think about the next one.
“It’s not easy. It takes more than one, two or three (players). You’ve got to have good people around you. Myself, every single day I work hard to be at that level so I can produce and make that happen.”
Even the full context of those comments should be concerning to 76ers fans. Many players in that situation would have said their goal is to bring a championship to their current city. Embiid did not, which is telling. Even if he has no intention of asking for a trade in the near future, that was an acknowledgement that he has at least thought about playing elsewhere.
The 76ers have gone six straight seasons where they’ve made the playoffs and failed to get past the conference semifinals. That lack of success has led to even 2-word tweets from Embiid being analyzed.
Embiid has not played his best in the postseason, which has been one issue for Philly. The team felt the head coach was a bigger one, so they fired Doc Rivers and brought in Nick Nurse. If the results are the same next season, things could get very interesting for Embiid and the Sixers.
