Philadelphia 76ers GM Sends Clear Joel Embiid Message on Monday

The Philadelphia 76ers had as bad a 2024-25 season as they could have imagined. Their major offseason moves didn't end up working as Paul George looked like a shell of the star we saw on the Clippers, while other stars like Tyrese Maxey and former MVP Joel Embiid missed considerable time due to injury.

Embiid has played less than 50% of the games in his career, and his durability seems to be waning by the season. After only playing 19 games in 2024-'25, Embiid was ruled out to help the 76ers optimize their draft lottery odds amid constant losses. 

With a long offseason ahead where the 76ers hope Embiid finally overcomes his injury issue, GM Daryl Morey has set a clear expectation for Embiid upon his return during his recent appearance on the 'Rights to Ricky Sanchez: The Sixers Podcast.'

“If Joel comes back, it’s going to be at a very high level. I actually don’t see a scenario where he’s fading. (…) I understand that wasn’t his best year. My point is different, though. My point is—I see him playing at a high level, and that’s so important to him that he will either get himself there or not. That’s my feeling. I think he views himself—correctly—as an MVP-level guy,” Morey said.