The Philadelphia 76ers are playing with fire, and they know it. But maybe that’s the point. With their three stars barely scraping the surface of their potential together last season, Philly isn’t hitting the eject button. Not yet, anyway. They’re doubling down. A team built on the promise of now, tied up by a reigning MVP – Joel Embiid, powered by a 24-year-old dynamo, and joined by a future Hall of Famer who’s still chasing validation. It’s fragile. It’s volatile. And it’s the Sixers’ all-in bet for 2025.

Wait… again? The Sixers are really about to run it back? Despite logging just 15 games together (yes, fifteen), Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey are officially getting another shot. Not a soft reboot, not a panic pivot. A full-on double-down. And according to Marc Stein, the plan is clear.

Philadelphia wants to bring the trio back intact for another title run. And staying put at the No. 3 pick? It adds $11.1 million to next season’s books and likely pushes them over the second apron – the NBA’s luxury tax version of “are you sure about this?” The cap implications are massive. The message? Bigger.

Because Daryl Morey has never shied away from a headline, or a high-wire act, for that matter. The second apron is a roster-building constraint. But Philly’s decision says they’re done playing it safe. They’re betting that health and chemistry can do what last year’s roster teases couldn’t. Bringing home a title.

And just as Philly tries to steady the ship with Embiid, George, and Maxey, enter Ace Bailey… well, actually, don’t. According to ESPN, the Rutgers star canceled his workout with the Sixers, which included a dinner with the team’s front office and a private workout planned for Friday. Making him the only U.S.-based prospect yet to visit any NBA teams. It’s a curious wrinkle, especially with Philly holding the No. 3 pick. Sources say the team hasn’t ruled him out, but it’s not the warmest sign either. What does it mean? Nothing. Or everything. Depending on how you read it.

Maybe Philly’s draft strategy has already shifted. Maybe Bailey’s backing out was mutual. Or maybe the Sixers are playing poker with a crowded hand, trying to keep their championship dreams alive without compromising the long game. Either way, the silence from Bailey’s camp is feeding speculation that the Sixers might go in another direction entirely. One that keeps their Big Three front and center.

Because make no mistake, people, Joel Embiid is still the centerpiece of it all! He has been vocal about wanting to win in Philly, and the additions of George and Maxey were supposed to finally balance his offensive brilliance with perimeter depth. Maxey, once in 2023, even opened up about Embiid’s influence. He said, “I’ve been saying it all year… I feel like the leadership coming from Joel has been on another level this year — his talk and the way he’s been able to push us as a team. He’s raised his level of play, so we have to raise ours, because that’s our best player. But the way he’s been vocal about it, telling guys that he needs them to step up.” Despite that, Joel Embiid’s 2025 season once again ended the way no Sixers fan wanted… on the injury report.

What Joel Embiid’s return means for the Sixers

After dealing with lingering knee soreness, Embiid underwent another arthroscopic procedure in late February, cutting his season short after just 19 games. It was the lowest game total he’s played since 2017. And with him sidelined, the Sixers unraveled. The team finished 24–58 and missed the playoffs entirely, marking a brutal collapse for a roster built to contend. It’s now the third time in four years Embiid’s playoff hopes have been derailed by injury, and while his talent isn’t in question, his availability continues to shape the Sixers’ ceiling.

For Philly, Embiid is a culture, a cornerstone, and a walking promise that if you stay the course, dominance follows. His on-court chemistry with Maxey has blossomed over the past two years, with Maxey often crediting Embiid’s presence for making his job easier. Add George into the mix, and you’ve got a trio that could thrive in postseason pressure this time around, hopefully so.

But there’s no escaping the urgency. Embiid’s patience isn’t eternal. Paul George turns 35 this year. Maxey is approaching his prime. If this year doesn’t click, the window might slam shut. And with the Sixers’ financial flexibility vanishing under the second apron, this might be the last swing at it.

For now, Philly is keeping its cards on the table. And despite Ace Bailey’s sudden distance and draft noise all around, the core is staying. The mission is unchanged. Championship or bust. For real this time.