The Reason Why Philadelphia 76ers Could Lose Joel Embiid This Summer

One of them is the possibility of James Harden leaving the side in the offseason, and the other is the team bowing out in the playoffs.

Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia 76ers could lose their star player Joel Embiid in the summer for two reasons.

One of them is the possibility of James Harden leaving the side in the offseason, and the other is the team's chances of making a deep run in the playoffs, but not getting over the hump.

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ESPN's Zach Lowe made some notes about the Sixers' moves in the offseason and wrote that there haven't been enough discussions of what their plans are in the upcoming months.

"They have not been to the conference finals in 22 years," Lowe said. "They dodged the thorny sides of the bracket in each of the last two seasons, and still crumbled in the second round. Harden can enter free agency this summer. The Sixers for now would not have cap space to replace him."

He also asked the all-important question: “How might Embiid react to another early loss and the subsequent departure of Harden?”

It should be noted that Philadelphia has come within striking distance to the Eastern Conference Finals and made Game 7 of the very round twice, but has failed to get across the finish line. Should they fail to go the distance this year, they risk losing both their superstars.

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Brian Windhorst Says The Philadelphia 76ers Are A Bonafide Threat To Win The East

The Sixers have played some scintillating ball this season and the proof is in the pudding. At the time of writing, they are placed third in the East with an impressive 39-19 record.

Adding to this was Brian Windhorst who declared that the Sixers were legitimate contenders. Speaking on NBA Today this week, the insider believed this unit stood a chance.

"They started the season off 12-12 and they had injuries to Tyrese Maxey and James Harden," Windhorst opined. "Since that 12-12 start, they are 26-7. But when you watch this team play at full power, they are as good as anybody. If you look at the dynamics of the East over the last decade, a team of this magnitude would probably be the overwhelming favorite to win the East." 

Harden and Embiid have proven to be a formidable duo, and they have the ability to take the side all the way, but can they take on even better against stacked units like the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks? Only time will tell.

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