The Philadelphia 76ers may be questioning what to do with Australian star Ben Simmons, but it appears they have compete trust in his teammate Joel Embiid.
A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Embiid and the Sixers agreed on a four-year, $269 million contract extension that will take the All-Star center through the 2026-27 season.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was not expected to be formally announced until Wednesday AEST.
News of Embiid’s extension with the 76ers comes as rumours continue to swirl around Simmons’ future in Philadelphia after his spectacular flameout in this year’s playoffs.
The 27-year-old Embiid was NBA MVP runner-up this season and led the Sixers to the best regular-season record in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers lost in the second round to the Atlanta Hawks.
Embiid averaged of 28.5 points and 10.6 rebounds last season and became eligible for the NBA’s super-max extension.
Selected by Philadelphia with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2014 draft, Embiid suffered a tear in his right meniscus during the playoffs. He played through the injury and has emerged as Philadelphia’s franchise player.
His new deal will start in 2023-24. The latest extension comes after Embiid initially signed a $203 million, five-year extension that kicked in during the 2018-19 season.