Joel Embiid's New Contract With Sixers Includes an Option in Final Year

On Tuesday morning, the Philadelphia 76ers made one of their most important moves of the current era. After having Joel Embiid on the court in a Sixers uniform for the last five seasons, the front office locked the big man into a supermax extension.

Heading into the offseason, Embiid was finally eligible for the big payday. Knowing how important Embiid has been to the Sixers ever since he stepped foot on the court for them, it was a matter of when, not if, Embiid inks a new extension in Philly.

At this point, the deal is official. On Tuesday, the Sixers announced that Embiid is officially locked into a brand new contract with the Sixers. 

Per team policy, the terms of the contract were not included in the press release. However, according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the contract is for four seasons, and Embiid will earn nearly $200 million over that span.

There is more to the deal than initially reported, though. While Embiid's extension gives him another four years in Philadelphia, keeping him in a Sixers uniform through the 2026-2027 season, there is a way he could opt out early.

According to Rich Hofmann of The Athletic, the final year on the contract is actually a player option. By that time, if Embiid is looking to move on from the Sixers rather than playing for them in 2026-2027, he could hit the free agency market early.

But have no worry, Sixers fans -- the big man still has faith he'll retire in Philadelphia. After putting pen to paper on Tuesday afternoon, Embiid took to Twitter to express his excitement about his new deal. In the past, Embiid has made it clear that he wants to play his entire career with the 76ers. On Tuesday, he reiterated that statement.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.