76ers are committed to The Process for at least five more years

In the words of a once-great prophet, we are so back.

The Philadelphia 76ers' offseason has been everything Daryl Morey promised it would be. Does this inevitably end in tragedy of the most heart-wrenching variety? Of course it does, that is the Sixers way. But, for now, it's easy enough to celebrate all the positives.

Paul George is a Sixer. They have a real backup center. Tyrese Maxey got paid. Jared McCain rocks. And yeah, Joel Embiid is stuck with Philly for another five years. According to our new NBA reporting overlord, Shams Charania of The Athletic, the former MVP and seven-time All-Star has inked a three-year, $193 million max extension with the 76ers. Philadelphia is now on the hook for $301 million over the next five years, one of the highest contract values in league history.

76ers sign Joel Embiid to three-year, $193 million max extension

Philadelphia has shelled out a lot of cash this summer. Both Paul George (four years, $212 million) and Tyrese Maxey (five years, $203.9 million) received max contracts of their own, while free agents Caleb Martin (four years, $35.4 million), Kelly Oubre Jr. (two years, $16.3 million), and KJ Martin (one year, $7.9 million) all signed for more than the vet minimum.

Daryl Morey made a point to clear more than $60 million in cap space for this summer, essentially leaving Embiid and Maxey (and rookie Ricky Council IV) as the only guaranteed contracts at season's end. There was a lot of hand-wringing about whether or not Morey could actually deliver the goods — so much could have gone wrong — but Philadelphia operated with aggression and it paid off. This is, on paper, the best team of the Joel Embiid era (I can't tell you how many times I've typed this over the years).

Now Embiid is locked up through at least 2028, with a player option worth $69.1 million in 2029. That would be Embiid's age-34 season. The Process is smack in the middle of his prime, but this contract will naturally raise concerns about how Embiid, every bit of 7-foot-plus and 280 pounds, will age. Injuries have been the pervasive storyline of Embiid's career to date. It's hard to move as forcefully as Embiid does at his size and not come across lower-leg ailments.

That said... who cares? When healthy Joel Embiid is the second-best player on Earth. You can't not extend the dude when given an opportunity. It's fair to wonder if he'll ever put together the healthy postseason run Philly craves, but Embiid's talent is such that it's worth the financial gamble to see if he can. Especially with George and Maxey in tow to offer support.

Embiid was as dominant as ever last season, averaging 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists on .529/.388/.883 splits in 33.6 minutes. Injuries limited the bruising center to 39 regular season games, but Embiid was on track for his third straight scoring title beforehand. He probably would've won his second MVP, too.

In quite literal terms, Embiid is the greatest per-minute scorer in NBA history. Complain all you will about how he goes about scoring those points, but there isn't a defense that can fully contain Embiid when he's healthy, aggressive, and surrounded by the right supporting cast. Embiid should, in theory, have enough help in 2024-25 to limit his burden in key stretches. Philadelphia can afford to play it safe with Embiid's health during the regular season in order to deliver him to the playoffs as close to 100 percent as possible.

Few athletes are more beloved in Philly than Embiid at this point. Through all the ups and downs, he has embraced the city and the fandom full throttle. He just gets it. And, he should continue to chase history these next five years.