Joel Embiid touts 76ers being in 'great position' with cap space, Tyrese Maxey
06/05/2024 14:36
PHILADELPHIA — For once, unpredictability in the offseason is not a bad thing for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Losing in the first round, even to a tough New York Knicks team, is disappointing for a team that consistently pegged the championship as its goal. But the 76ers came out of this year’s playoffs with much less baggage than in years past. That's because, after a season where a myriad of things went wrong, the opportunity is there to put the right roster around Joel Embiid for the remainder of his superstar years.
The Sixers have a core of Embiid, co-star Tyrese Maxey, and head coach Nick Nurse in place for the next several years (which will be made official once Maxey inevitability signs his new contract). They can open up over $60 million in cap space and will have numerous first-round and second-round picks to use in trades. The 2023-24 season was aimed to be the dawn of a potentially lengthy window of title contention.
Daryl Morey admitted after the trade deadline that he prioritized flexibility with the new collective bargaining agreement in mind. The 76ers’ president of basketball operations kicked the can down the road to get to a point where he could solidify the supporting cast around Embiid and Maxey. His time to step up is coming in the following months.
Embiid recognizes the great spot the Sixers are in. With a great running mate in Maxey and scores of resources to put the right team around them, Philly can give Embiid something he hasn't had in his career: continuity in a championship-level roster.
"You can't just put people together foroneyear and hopethat it’s gonna work out," Embiid said. "Obviously, we havesomeexperience together,so I think that’sthe way to go. Youjust gotta keepgoing,keep building aroundit,and findtheright mix ofpeopletomake it happen.But,yeah,I’mexcited."
Before the season started, Embiid declared that he’ll always believe any team with him on it has the chance to compete for a championship. For a player at his level to believe that is not at all surprising — it would perhaps be more alarming if he didn't. But he admitted that it takes time to secure a consistent, legitimate chance at making the successful flight through the rigorous playoff atmosphere.
The last (and only) co-star Embiid had several years to mesh with was Ben Simmons. His eventual refusal to play for the Sixers led to the addition of James Harden, who lasted a season and a half before his own ugly breakup with the team. Jimmy Butler lasted just half a season before the franchise, sensing an impending fork-in-the-road decision between him and Simmons, chose to cut bait early and trade him away. Butler was one of many key players that the Embiid-Simmons duo were asked to adjust to on the fly.
In Maxey, who has played alongside Embiid over various roles for four years now, the 76ers have a pairing of stars with familiarity, skill sets that mesh beautifully, and a desire to win for Philadelphia.
76ers have something special in Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey tandem
Joel Embiid said that Tyrese Maxey became one of the 10 best basketball players in the world with his ascendant 2023-24 season. He foresees MVP conversations in his 23-year-old co-star.
From the get-go of their first season as the top two options, the results were fantastic. They were one of just three duos to each average 25 points and five assists per game this season and that production translated into a rate of winning that paced the Boston Celtics, owners of the best record in the NBA.
"It’s beenamazing.I’veseen him dosomeextraordinarythings, honestly," Maxey said of playing alongside Embiid. "Butforme,it’s just motivationbecause I see him keepworkingeverysinglesummer. I see him come back and he finds a way to get betteratsomething…Every time we ask him to do something different or something special, he always does it."
The seeds of their chemistry were planted early and kept well-nourished over the years. Maxey called Embiid "one of the firstbelieversinme, like from day one." The big man dubbing his lead guard "The Franchise" is not as much of a playful compliment of his potential anymore. It’s a well-deserved, honest title.
Debates about whether a team belongs to Star X or Star Y are bred out of an outdated mindset. The 76ers belong to Embiid and Maxey. Perhaps the former carries a bigger responsibility but the latter is there to pick up the slack when needed. Doing so was a work in progress for him this season but not a total helpless cause. They're also each there to make their lives easier, as was seen in their magnificent two-man game.
Look no further than this year’s playoffs. Embiid carried the workload for the 76ers in Game 3 against the Knicks with a 50-point performance. And when Embiid was struggling to assert himself in Game 5, Maxey took over with a 46-point outing that included one of the most incredible pair of clutch plays by a single player in NBA playoff history. The idea of whose team it belongs to does not matter. What does matter is how well they play and co-exist together, which they already do sensationally.
But as great as the two 76ers stars are, even they need to be propped sometimes. Sometimes a role player like Nico Batum has to unleash a barrage of three-pointers that saves Philly from losing the play-in game while Embiid and Maxey each shot under 40 percent from the field. "Not everybody, even the superstar players, plays great every night. But he plays great most nights," Nurse said in reference to Embiid.
The margins for error shrink in the playoffs and the Sixers have not figured out how to win in them when Embiid isn't playing well (or when he's off the court). That's something from the 2023-24 season that can't follow them any longer.
Daryl Morey must fortify 76ers roster around star duo
When it was obvious that Harden had to be traded eventually, Daryl Morey said he would only make the deal if it gave Philly a star or the materials to acquire one in another trade. The deal that he and the Los Angeles Clippers struck sent a future first-round pick, the right to swap another future first and some second-round picks to Philly while clearing a little more cap space.
Morey has yet to flip those assets for a star, opting to spend the deadline making marginal roster upgrades and preparing even further to make that move this summer. The rumor mill will churn often with names and options for Philly but, as Morey has shown in previous big moves, he’s not afraid to be patient.
"When you lookat it,itkind of looks exciting," Embiid said. "Don’t know whatthey’re going to do buttheydo have a lot ofcap space andpicks, sotheyhavetheopportunitytodosomething good. Who’s going to be available, whether it’s free agency and trades? You can have all that stuff but you also gotta be lucky that something else comes up. That’s a great position to be in."
Joel Embiid on the Sixers' offseason and the emergence of Tyrese Maxey as a star:
"That's a great position to be in." pic.twitter.com/KpzaS5NdFf
— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) May 3, 2024
The importance of this offseason for the Sixers isn't just making the most of the remainder of Embiid’s prime but maximizing Maxey’s best years. While Embiid’s game should age gracefully because of his shooting touch and intellect, the wear and tear on his body is bound to accelerate the downsides of aging. Maxey should continue to improve but no longer can Philly put its weight nearly entirely on Embiid’s shoulders.
Morey failing the 76ers in their big moves this offseason would leave him with a massive stain on his resume. He isn't fighting to keep his job after extending his contract through 2028. But after years of stumbling through numerous iterations of the roster — for reasons that both were and were not his fault — he’s gotten himself a clean slate. He knows he can't let it go to waste.
Every single offseason, the question is asked of whether the 76ers should give up on The Process – a stance that ironically serves as a condemnation of Sam Hinkie’s rebuilding efforts but also suggests Philly should trade Embiid and turn back to doing pretty much exactly what Hinkie did. This offseason will serve as the breaking point.
If the Sixers are the Embiid-led title contender they always wanted to be, the question will be stuffed in a drawer. But if this offseason’s yield isn't bountiful, it becomes a greater inevitability.
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