Joel Embiid Reacts to Extension, Plans to Retire in Philly

When the Philadelphia 76ers dropped Game 7 to the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the playoffs back in June, there were several members of the team's starting lineup that had their futures with the Sixers in question. 76ers starting center Joel Embiid was certainly not one of them.

This summer, Embiid was eligible for a super-max extension. Although he has several years left on his current contract, the Sixers could lock the big man up for even longer by using the extension. To no surprise, 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey got it done on Tuesday morning.

Embiid, a 27-year-old superstar center, joined the Sixers ahead of the 2014-2015 season. As a projected top pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Embiid was expected to end up with the Cleveland Cavaliers after spending one season at Kansas University.

Unfortunately for Embiid, a foot injury prevented him from becoming the top pick of the 2014 NBA Draft. After dropping pick No. 3, the tanking Sixers scooped Embiid up. He missed the first two years of his career but debuted in 2016-2017.

Despite battling injuries for two seasons before ever making his NBA debut, Embiid was already a fan-favorite in Philadelphia before he took the court for the first time. Five years following his debut, Embiid is now a four-time All-Star and MVP finalist. 

Coming off of his best season yet, Embiid earned a four-year extension, worth $196 million, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. With that, he'll earn $261 million as he's locked in through the 2026-2027 season.

Since joining the Sixers in 2014, Embiid has always shown gratitude towards the organization for taking a chance on him and sticking with him throughout his early setbacks. 

Ever since Embiid embraced the Sixers' "process" early on, the big man has made it clear he would like to remain in Philly for as long as possible. Now that he's locked in for an additional four years, the MVP-caliber big man makes it clear he still has plans to retire as a member of the 76ers.

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