Joel Embiid has been through a lot since he was drafted third overall by the Sixers in 2014.
Professionally, personally, on the court, off the court — Embiid’s time in Philadelphia has been tempestuous. There’s no need to rehash it all. If you’re reading this, you know.
While Embiid is certainly to blame for some of the failures of the team, the franchise hasn’t always done what’s best for a player that will have his No. 21 in the rafters someday.
But, despite the chaos of James Harden’s very public trade request, the Sixers are doing everything they can to build a contending team around Embiid — for now and years to come.