3-Time NBA Champion Applies Most Pressure to Sixers This Season

Danny Green exposes the reality of the Sixers' situation this year.

May 12, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Danny Green warms up before action against the Miami Heat in game six of the second round of the 2022 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

When it comes to pressure in the NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers have a lot on them heading into the 2025-2026 season. Unlike most teams with a top-five pick in the draft lottery, the Sixers are expected to fight for a role as contenders next year.

Looking at his former team, the three-time NBA champion Danny Green believes the Sixers have the most pressure in the league to succeed next year.

“They've been talking about blowing it up each year. What do we do with Joel [Embiid]? If they don’t win this year, it’s going to be a lot of smoke in the city, and they're going to have to make a lot of changes, and it's going to probably start with Joel,” Green said.

Since Embiid debuted for the Sixers, he has been the clear face of the franchise. On a personal level, Embiid lived up to the expectations, taking home an MVP trophy and putting up a strong fight for a couple more over time. But when it came to winning the big game, Embiid and the Sixers don’t have anything to show for on that front.

Last season could go down as the most disappointing of the Embiid era. The big man couldn’t see the court for more than 19 games. The team that was viewed as a championship contender in the Eastern Conference ended up securing the third-overall pick in the draft.

The Sixers had a valid excuse, considering all of the injuries they dealt with. At the same time, some of the core pieces (Embiid, Paul George) had a clear injury history. The Sixers took a massive gamble last year and ended up getting wiped out. Seeing that happen in back-to-back years would frustrate Philadelphia’s fan base more than anybody else in the league, in the eyes of Green.

The former NBA sharpshooter didn’t exactly say the Sixers would be shopping somebody like Embiid next season if they can’t bounce back, but he certainly isn’t ruling it out. The big contracts on the books for injury-prone players in their 30s won’t be attractive in the open market, but nothing is impossible in the world of NBA trading.

Oct 11, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Danny Green (14) controls the ball against Boston Celtics guard JD Davidson (20) in the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

“There’s no such thing,” Green said regarding Embiid’s contract being untradable.

“Everything can be traded. I'm willing to bet there are a lot of teams out there in the lower tier, the bottom tier, and mid-tier that would want Joe out to sell tickets and try to put themselves in playoff contention.”

The Sixers obviously hope that they don’t reach that point of no return. They’ve invested hundreds of millions of dollars into Embiid and hope to see the big man retire with the team when it’s all said and done. Nobody can predict the future—but Green’s idea isn’t far-fetched.

“They have the most pressure to win,” the champion finished. “My list is my list.”