The Philadelphia 76ers left nothing to chance this offseason. They brought in LeBron James for experience and landed Jaylen Brown to give Tyrese Maxey another elite running mate. On paper, they finally look built to chase a championship. Yet the biggest question still revolves around Joel Embiid. Now, one voice believes Philadelphia should make its toughest decision before that dream slips away.
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“I don’t think they can keep Embiid. I don’t think the team can keep Embiid because it’s like a victim of his own excellence, in the sense that I don’t care how good he’s feeling in the offseason and all that,” Max Kellerman told Rich Paul on the Game Over podcast.
“Look, if he stays healthy the whole time to win the whole thing, he proves me wrong, right? But he is such a big piece to integrate and then have to work around,” Kellerman added. “Then if he comes back, integrate, and every year of his career it’s always something else. If I’m the Sixers, I’m moving off Embiid as soon as possible. I wouldn’t let this go by the wayside.”
According to Kellerman, the Sixers are at a crossroads with Joel Embiid. That is simply because when he is healthy, he is the best player on the team. “You just don’t know when he’s gonna be healthy in the playoffs. You want mismatches. If Embiid is healthy, he’s a mismatch every time,” Rich Paul argued.
Kellerman further explained that Embiid’s return often forces the team to readjust its entire rhythm. While the 32-year-old performs well individually, the rest of the roster needs time to adapt to playing alongside him again.
By the time the team regains its chemistry, it may have already lost valuable games, forcing the Philadelphia 76ers to confront the same challenge year after year. Now, defending LeBron’s new team, Paul said, “This is a different team now. Don’t get me wrong. You have to figure out how to stagger minutes. This is all about staggering minutes.”
But again, the question of how many minutes The Process will play per game comes into the picture. “If I’m the Sixers, I’m keeping Embiid under 28 minutes a game in the regular season,” Kellerman said.
With LeBron James and Jaylen Brown’s addition to the roster, Joel Embiid is going to experience unprecedented pressure. No one doubts his gameplay; he is an MVP for a reason, of course. However, he has to find ways to stay healthy all season, avoid injuries, and show up for his team.
Over the past two regular seasons, Embiid has suited up just 57 times. Even at 41, LeBron surpassed that total in 2025-26. Philadelphia’s outlook, however, could shift with James and Jaylen Brown. Their impact extends beyond talent. They bring leadership, toughness, and a winning mindset that could reshape the franchise from top to bottom.