Joel Embiid signs a three-year, $192.9 million contract extension that keeps him in Philadelphia through 2029

Philadelphia’s championship dreams begin with Joel Embiid, an unprecedentedly dominant force in the paint.

That’s why the 76ers signed him for the next five years. In a widely expected move, the 76ers agreed to a three-year contract extension, worth a maximum of $192.9 million, tying him to the 76ers for five years for a total of $299.5 million. Shams Charania of The Athletic revealed the story and a few minutes later The 76ers confirmed itmaking it official.

“I started with the Sixers and I want to stay here for the rest of my career,” Embiid said in a statement announcing the signing. “I had no idea when I was drafted as a 20-year-old kid from Cameroon how lucky I was to be in Philadelphia. Through all the ups and downs, this city and its fans have meant the world to me, and I am so grateful for the way they have embraced me. I want to thank Josh, David and the entire organization. Philadelphia is my home and it’s time to bring this community an NBA title.”

The 76ers took a step toward that title with the biggest move of the offseason, bringing in free agent forward Paul George. He, along with Embiid and point guard Tyrese Maxey, form arguably the best big three in the NBA right now. 76ers GM Daryl Morey has done the best he can by surrounding that trio with solid role players — Eric Gordon, Caleb Martin, Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond, Kyle Lowry and others — to give Philadelphia a chance to beat Boston in the East and play for a ring.

All of this — both the hopes for this season and the contract extension — is a bet on Embiid’s health at age 30. He played just 39 games last season and returned from left knee meniscus surgery — an injury that Embiid said took a psychological toll on him — in time for the playoffs, where he played well against the Knicks (but it wasn’t enough to help the 76ers win the series). Embiid has a history of injuries, some accidental (elbows that fractured the orbital bone in his face) and others concerning to his knees and lower body. Embiid played 66 games in his 2022-23 MVP campaign, and 68 the season before, the most of his career. However, in the previous five seasons, he played fewer than 65 games (the league’s current threshold for postseason awards).

When healthy, Embiid is arguably the league’s most dominant player, a two-way force who averaged 34.7 points and 11 rebounds per game last season while shooting 55.6 percent from two-point range and 38.8 percent from three-point range (on 3.6 attempts per game). The 76ers need Embiid to chase their title dreams, but that leaves coach Nick Nurse (and, by extension, Embiid) with a question: Is it worth missing a few regular-season games to manage the workload, and perhaps miss out on playoff rewards, to get him healthy for a playoff run? At this point in his career, is that the kind of outlook the 76ers should be taking?

For those who want details on his new contract, friend of the site Keith Smith explains.