Trust the Process.
That exact phrase has hung over the Philadelphia 76ers since the days that former general manager Sam Hinkie reigned over the franchise’s basketball decision-making process. Over 10 years later, which included stints from multiple general managers, the 76ers have still gone without a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals despite having loads of talent in various junctures during the past decade.
Serving as the centerpiece of The Process ™ era is Joel Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP and multiple-time all-NBA center, who has outlasted each of his running mates in the City of Brotherly Love since joining the Sixers in 2013-14. But since bowing out in — you guessed it — the second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Embiid’s fifth second-round exit in the last six seasons, and amidst discontent from co-star James Harden, Embiid appears to be none too pleased with the 76ers.
In fact, Embiid even hinted at his mindset regarding the Sixers on Monday, leaving the door open for interpretation that he may not want to be in Philly for his entire career.
Now, Embiid has since walked back that comment a bit by essentially saying he was just trolling, which he is known to do, but his festering discontent has seemingly grown in recent seasons (and it hasn’t exactly been behind the scenes, either).
How about right after Philadelphia’s Game 7 loss to Boston? Embiid said the roster around him and Harden wasn’t enough to compete in the East. Let me remind you that Embiid and Harden shot a combined 8 of 29 in that game, but I digress, it was just another example of Embiid’s frustration with upper management in Philly.
Then there’s the Ben Simmons saga, which wasn’t Embiid’s fault by any stretch of the imagination, but he didn’t help alleviate any of the tension with several comments that could be viewed as disparaging toward Simmons. Remember when he threw Simmons under the bus after the 76ers’ Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in 2021, and although it was justified, it’s not quite what you want to hear from your superstar about his co-star.
To be fair to Embiid, the 76ers haven’t exactly done the best job of building around him. Outside of the 2018-19 campaign, in which Philadelphia boasted a starting five of Simmons, J.J. Redick, Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris and Embiid during the postseason, it would be fair to say that Embiid has never quite had the best supporting cast in the East.
Embiid’s fit alongside Simmons was questionable throughout their time together, with both guys being ball-dominant players that did most of their work in the paint. There were also concerns surrounding the duo’s relationship off the court, which didn’t necessarily help with any on-court cohesion.
Also, both Simmons and Harden have requested trades during their time in Philadelphia, creating a revolving door of all-star caliber players joining and leaving the Sixers, providing Embiid with little roster continuity from season to season.
Now, Embiid could enter his first season as the heliocentric star of the Sixers in 2023-24, provided Harden’s trade request to the Los Angeles Clippers is met. It’s been reported that the Sixers are looking for an all-star caliber return for Harden, which could mean they’re shooting for Paul George or another star from a third team in a potential trade.
Moving on to the question at hand, could the Sixers lose Embiid in the near future?
While the NBA has become unpredictable in regard to trade requests and free agency, I still don’t believe that Embiid will leave Philadelphia anytime soon. He is The Process and has become so ingrained in the franchise’s culture and fanbase that I just don’t see a scenario where he forces his way out of Philly.
Now, he’s clearly putting some pressure on the organization to provide him with the necessary pieces to make a run past the second round of the playoffs, and who knows how he’ll react if, say, three years down the line the Sixers don’t meet his demands. But, for now, I think 76ers fans can feel pretty comfortable about their star big man.
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