Joel Embiid has been eliminated from the second round of the playoffs, again. Sunday night’s 144–114 loss to the New York Knicks marked the sixth time it’s happened in nine playoffs. Philly’s search for an NBA Finals appearance continues even after a decade with the Cameroonian star big man. Embiid saved his team from an early elimination against the Boston Celtics in the first round, but his familiar foe, the New York Knicks, were always going to pose bigger problems. And they surely did, successfully rendering Tyrese Maxey and Paul George hopeless, while The Process’ body gave up.

Now, Daryl Morey and Nick Nurse’s jobs are bound to be evaluated come the offseason, but the franchise as a whole needs to either stay or pivot from Embiid. Simply because they cannot win over two worlds at once. Either they have a successful campaign and go deep, or they stick with their big man and hope he stays fit. At this point, the latter is more a desire than the truth. And maybe it’s time they accept the hard reality, one that Embiid touched on after crashing out.

“I love Philly. I’ve been here my whole career, a lot has happened, we haven’t won,” Embiid said. “Going into the summer, having a chance to be more prepared with everything bodywise and my game.” He also praised his teammates for stepping up. But Embiid’s words ended with a question mark as the future remains unclear.

“I think VJ [Edgecombe] is, I’m going to talk to him, he’s going to be better, and he was amazing for his first year,” Embiid continued. “Tyrese is going to be better, and he’s taking a step every single year. PG that we saw the last couple of weeks, he still got it. And then everybody else. I don’t know who’s going to be here. I don’t even know if I’m going to be here, but whatever happens, happens.” So, even Embiid is unsure about the Big 3’s return next year. Against the odds, they beat Boston but had no answers in Round 2. Contractually, how does all of this look?

PG is on a four-year, $211.6 million deal signed two offseasons ago. He saved his absolute best for the playoffs after returning from his 25-game suspension. But the Sixers will be paying Embiid and George $111 million combined next season, with no guarantee that either will remain healthy. They gave up Jared McCain at the deadline to save on luxury tax, as they viewed him as expendable after Quentin Grimes and rookie VJ Edgecombe. Keeping the latter was the right move, but the former hasn’t shown up in the postseason…

Grimes has averaged just 6.0 points in the playoffs this year, putting extra pressure on Maxey. Interestingly, Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. will be unrestricted free agents heading into the summer. But the bigger question still remains: whether the franchise should look beyond Embiid.

Former Sixer believes they should trade Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid has three years remaining on his current contract with Philadelphia, including a $67 million player option for the 2028-29 season. Former NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams, who spent time with Embiid in Philadelphia, suggested that trading Embiid would help them with pieces that will be key for rebuilding around Maxey and Edgecombe.

“I think it’s almost getting to that point,” Carter-Williams said on FanDuel’s Run It Back. “They have young guys that are really good. It’s not like if you trade [Embiid] and you get some pieces, you have to start from ground zero. You’re still in the mix with the guys that you have right now. So I think it’s getting close that they look for that option, because I think people are still like, ‘OK, when he does play, he can hoop.’ There’s still some value there.”

Another report called for the Sixers to trade for two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard. Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale added that it could mean losing either Paul George or Embiid in the trade as well.

After another early playoff exit, the uncertainty around Joel Embiid’s future only adds to the pressure facing the Philadelphia 76ers. Whether this becomes a turning point or just another offseason of questions will depend on how the organization responds in the weeks ahead.