Joel Embiid is not getting any younger, and despite his rousing resurgence this season, it is fair to question how much longer his body can take this kind of grueling load. The Philadelphia 76ers ought to know this best, right? Well, that is supposed to be the case, but given how the front office has been acting up, it seems like the answer veers more into the negative.
The 76ers have been adamant in keeping their finances under control. In a perfect world, that is completely within reason, but in NBA terms, that is the precise equivalent of punting. Teams spend a lot to win a lot, but that is definitely not the case for this franchise which just traded Jared McCain, one of the brightest young guards in the league, for draft capital.
By itself, the move to get rid of McCain has actual merits despite its being unpopular — but the disposition of the 76ers brain trust is the one in question here. It would appear like they are doing every little thing possible to lay the groundwork for another colossal chase, but for now, the plan is nebulous. That is the problem.
No one really knows what the 76ers front office wants to do
Philadelphia is built to win now. They have made that pretty clear for almost an entire decade now. But the fact that they cannot pick a struggle — whether to go double-down on their careful approach or to take their all-in stance a step or two further — is a complete waste of Embiid still playing at peak capacity.
Any and all plans to reconstruct the roster should and would be hatched under the premise that Embiid is still the leading man for this team alongside Tyrese Maxey. That is a non-negotiable at this rate. The 76ers could look for a new star to replace, say, Paul George. They could also prioritize shoring up their depth across the board, which is what competent franchise often prefer doing.
This team, however, is unique in that it has the capacity to tolerate either of those directions. That makes it all the more baffling that the front office has not been fully transparent about the way they want to go with things. They keep saying they are all-in, but their constant trepidation when they even only flirt with the tax aprons say otherwise. They often say they want to get younger, but their summer pursuits have been going wayward from that soft mandate.
This cannot go on any longer. Joel Embiid deserves to have a competent front office for once, and the 76ers better hurry up and get their act together before it’s too late.