Prior to the start of this season, the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a lucrative max contract extension worth $146 million over five years with rising star center Joel Embiid.
According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, Embiid could in line to get a significant contract increase if he meets either one of two major individual milestones this season.
Signed to a five-year $146 million extension, Embiid’s total compensation will increase to $178 million if he earns first-team All-NBA honors or is named Most Valuable Player this season. While the MVP is unlikely, Embiid could have an outside shot at first-team All-NBA based on his strong early-season play and the injury to Rudy Gobert.
The 23-year-old is off to a strong start in his second full year averaging career highs across the board with 22.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists along with 1.8 blocks in 29.6 minutes per game. Embiid has posted 11 double-doubles in 18 games played, including a current career-high streak of five straight games of reaching that mark.
He also posted a career-best night against the Los Angeles Lakers scoring 46 points with 15 rebounds, and seven blocks that made him the first NBA player with 40 points, seven assists and seven blocks in a single game since Hall of Famer Julius Erving.
Although the MVP award appears to be a long shot at this point, garnering an All-NBA First Team selection with his primary competition at the moment being DeMarcus Cousins due to Rudy Gobert being sidelined with a knee injury. Cousins in the midst of another highly productive campaigns averaging 25.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, a career-high 5.3 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.5 steals per contest.
Beyond just helping the 76ers reaching the playoffs for the first time in five years, there is plenty of personal motivation for him to put together a stellar season.
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