Joel Embiid, 76ers agree to four-year, $196M contract extension

Aug. 17 (UPI) -- The Philadelphia 76ers and star center Joel Embiid agreed to a four-year, $196 million extension Tuesday, which keeps All-Star under contract with the franchise through the 2026-27 season.

Sources told ESPN, The Athletic and NBC Sports Philadelphia about the agreement Tuesday morning. Embiid, 27, was scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the 2022-23 season.

He now would make $261 million over the next six seasons. He is scheduled to earn $31.5 million and $33.6 million over the next two seasons, respectively.

The four-time All-Star averaged a career-high 28.5 points per game and finished second in NBA MVP voting in 2020-21. Embiid also averaged 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 blocks and one steal per game last season.

The 7-foot center is a three-time second-team All-Defensive and three-time second-team All-NBA selection.

Embiid led the 76ers to the best regular season record (49-23) in the Eastern Conference in 2020-21 and helped the team secure a No. 1 see throughout the playoffs.

He then sustained a torn meniscus in the postseason, but missed just one playoff game. The 76ers advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, in which they lost to the Atlanta Hawks in seven games.