Joel Embiid keeps showing up in the wrong kind of NBA conversation, and the latest one only sharpens the dilemma for the Philadelphia 76ers.
CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn recently ranked the league’s worst contracts, and Embiid landed near the top of the list. That part is no surprise anymore. The bigger takeaway is what comes next: even if the Sixers wanted to move on, trading him would not suddenly solve their center problem.
Quinn didn’t hide the issue with Embiid’s deal, pointing to the availability concerns and the wear that has piled up over time. He wrote:
“They need a center that defends and does the dirty work. That's not Embiid, so if their talent doesn't prove so overwhelming that it can overcome those flaws, you shouldn't be surprised if Embiid's name pops up in trade rumors. Given the size of this contract, though, moving him will almost certainly cost meaningful draft capital and perhaps involve taking a player on this list.”
That is the bind Philadelphia is in. Embiid may be viewed as the league’s worst contract, but that does not mean he is easy to replace. Any deal involving him would likely mean taking back another expensive contract, and the Sixers can’t just shop him for any random upgrade.
They also don’t have much use for a guard. Tyrese Maxey is an improving two-time All-Star, and VJ Edgecombe is a rising star. Jaylen Brown was just acquired and still has many years left in the tank, while LeBron James is not someone the Sixers are going to replace already.
So the attention shifts to centers, and even there, the options are messy. Jakob Poeltl sits at No. 4 on Quinn’s list with four years and $103.5 million left on his deal.
Domantas Sabonis comes in at No. 10 with $94.0 million remaining. Then there is Anthony Davis, the trade target fans keep floating for Philadelphia.
He ranks No. 11, and while he might make the most sense as a basketball fit, the money is still a problem. He has $121.2 million over two years, and the next extension he is ready to demand could be even tougher to swallow.
Davis also carries his own injury history. He played 76 games for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023-2024, then appeared in 51 games in 2024-2025.
In 2025-2026, he logged 20 appearances for the Dallas Mavericks before being traded to the Washington Wizards, and he did not debut in Washington that season. For Philadelphia, that is the same kind of risk that already comes with Embiid.
And that is the frustrating truth here: yes, Embiid is overpaid, but he is not really replaceable. When he is healthy, there are very few centers in the NBA better than him.
Some contracts become bad because a team simply misjudged the player. Embiid’s deal was built on MVP-level production and the hope that his body would hold up long enough for a deep playoff run.
He just showed what that still looks like against the Boston Celtics in the 2026 NBA Playoffs a few months ago. The problem, as always, is that the body has not cooperated. Still, these contract lists keep pointing to the same conclusion: Philadelphia’s huge gamble probably is not the kind of bet you cash out early, especially when the alternatives are other expensive headaches with far less upside.
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