When is Joel Embiid a free agent? Taking a look at the Philadelphia 76ers star's contract details
Despite enjoying what was his best NBA season in terms of individual stats, Joel Embiid will not be happy with the way the Philadelphia 76ers got knocked out of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Embiid, who struggled with a tear in his right meniscus, missed game 5 against the Washington Wizards and was in visible pain through much of the semifinals.
He was understandably frustrated after game 7, and took aim at both the officials and his teammate Ben Simmons. Simmons missed an easy dunk and chose to pass to Matisse Thybulle with less than four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Thybulle went on to miss the layup and then converted just one of two shots from the charity stripe. Regardless, Joel Embiid was the favorite for the NBA MVP award until his late regular season injury, and will be thoroughly dejected with the outcome.
The Philadelphia 76ers have now lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals three times in the last four seasons. Regardless, the 76ers have a strong roster and are still expected to be one of the favorites for the championship next year. In this article, we look at Joel Embiid’s overall contract situation.
Joel Embiid set to become a free agent at the end of the 2022-23 NBA season
Joel “The Process” Embiid was the third overall pick for the Philadelphia 76ers at the 2014 NBA draft. He had two injury-plagued seasons in which multiple foot and knee problems meant Embiid only made his debut in the 2015-16 NBA season. His rookie year was highly successful, as Joel Embiid averaged more than 20 points per game with 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.1 steals per game.
A successful rookie season meant he was offered a 148 million designated rookie scale maximum contract extension that runs until the end of the 2022-23 NBA season. This means that Embiid has not one, but two more seasons to help the Philadelphia 76ers to a championship.
Embiid’s overall yearly salary for the 2017-18 NBA season was around $25.5 million, as it jumped to around $29.5 million for the current NBA season. Embiid’s contract stipulates add-ons for All-NBA selections. Additionally, he will be earning at least $31.5 million for the 2021-22 NBA season, with an increase of more than $2 million for the 2022-23 NBA season.
Joel Embiid is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the 2022-23 NBA season, which gives him quite a bit of time to decide on his long-term future. The 2020-21 NBA season was by far his best individually, and he will be intent on seeing how the roster develops over the coming season. Embiid has developed into a bonafide star over the past two seasons and will now be looking to land what will be the first NBA championship of his career.