Here’s a Surprising Joel Embiid Prediction for 2030

Where will Joel Embiid stand in the greatest of all-time debate when his career winds down?

Feb 20, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on during the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

On Monday, Bleacher Report released its Top 100 NBA Players Ever list. As a follow-up to the list, B/R’s team made predictions on where the league’s top stars will re-rank in 2030.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is currently positioned at No. 66. His projected range in five years’ time is between the Top 70 and Top 20.

“The range on this one is somewhat ridiculous. Between his injury history, size and age (32 this season), there's a real chance that Joel Embiid won't move up at all between now and 2030. But if he can stay healthy for just a few months in the spring and summer, shake his playoff demons and lead his team to a championship, Embiid's legacy would be flipped upside down.

Despite being in the league since the 2014 draft, Embiid hasn't played enough to qualify for most career leaderboards. But among players with 10,000-plus minutes, he's fourth in career scoring average and is tied with Larry Bird for seventh in box plus/minus. When available, Embiid has proven to be one of the most prolific scorers the league has ever seen. In recent years, he's shown off a bit more playmaking chops as well. Without question, Embiid is an all-time great talent. But the 2022-23 MVP needs some good injury luck for the first time in his career to move up significantly higher in these rankings.”

Realistically, Embiid is projected to surpass the likes of Vince Carter and Bob McAdoo by 2030. In a best-case scenario, it is suggested that the 31-year-old could pass Moses Malone and David Robinson.

Embiid has already made a strong case as a future Hall of Famer. However, his legacy may be defined by how he handles injuries during the later half of his playing career.

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