NBA: Embiid signs "multi-year" Philadelphia 76ers contract
The Philadelphia 76ers have agreed a contract extension with Joel Embiid, with reports stating the deal is worth $196m over four years.
The Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid has signed a "multi-year" new contract with the NBA franchise after coming close to winning the MVP award in 2020-21.
The 76ers did not release details of the extension, which rewards an outstanding season for the All-Star center, but widespread reports on Tuesday said the 27-year-old has been handed a four-year deal worth $196m.
Embiid: "No place like PHILADELPHIA!!!"
Embiid became eligible for the extension after finishing second in the MVP voting and making the All-NBA Second Team.
But for injury, the big man might have scooped the top award, for which he was the favourite until a knee problem in March.
The 76ers were only 10-11 without Embiid, but their 39-12 record with their outstanding star on the floor was enough to finish first in the Eastern Conference.
Embiid's 28.5 points per game were a career high and ranked fourth in the NBA despite the ongoing knee issue – a torn meniscus, which he played with into the postseason – limiting the former third overall pick to 31.1 minutes.
Per 75 possessions, his 32.9 points led the league, boosted by improvement in field-goal percentage (51.3), three-point percentage (37.7) and accuracy from the foul line (85.9 per cent).
Embiid's new deal, which runs through the 2026-27 season, reportedly includes a player option for the final year, although the Sixers do not have the same protection in case of further injuries.
Embiid is yet to play more than 64 games in a regular season in the NBA, with the start to his career delayed by two years due to foot surgery.