After a miraculous first-round comeback from down 3-1 to beat the Boston Celtics, Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers met their match in the New York Knicks in Round 2.
It was all New York from start to finish, as the Knicks dismantled the 76ers in a four-game sweep that was never really close.
Embiid was relatively upbeat even after being swept in the second round on Sunday. However, reports that came out in the aftermath of Philadelphia’s elimination suggest it’s not all rosy, particularly when it comes to his feelings toward the front office after trading away Jared McCain.
“As the season progressed, it became clear the star center didn’t see eye-to-eye with the front office and the coaching staff. In the days before the February trade deadline, he implored the front office to do something other than what he termed “ducking the (luxury) tax.”
As such, he — along with others in the locker room — were not happy with the decision to trade second-year guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder, particularly without bringing in a player to replace McCain. In interviews over the next few games, Embiid noticeably had to hold himself back from verbally criticizing the front office,”
The 32-year-old Embiid averaged 26.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 3.9 APG in just 38 games played during the 2025-26 regular season. His three-year, $193 million extension signed with the 76ers in 2024 begins next season (2026-27) and includes a player option after the 2027-28 campaign.
Whether Embiid is frustrated enough to potentially seek a trade out of Philadelphia remains to be seen, though his injury issues in recent years make it just as plausible that, at some point, the team could look to make a change themselves.
The 76ers are now Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe’s team moving forward, and it might just be in their best interest to move their former third-overall pick (2014) at a time when he still has value and has shown a brief stint of being healthy and productive.
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