Joel Embiid is expanding his basketball career beyond the NBA and into the international stage next year. The Philadelphia 76ers superstar has decided to represent Team USA at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Team USA hasn’t gotten any other firm commitments yet but the list of stars expected to join Embiid is mighty intriguing. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard are among the names linked to the 2024 American squad. The interest from so many high-profile guys helped convince Embiid to join Team USA over the national teams from France and Cameroon.

Going the route with Team USA is not only the best and most practical for Joel Embiid but it also has some upside — along with some risk — for the Sixers.

While it would have been awesome to see Embiid represent Cameroon on the international hoops scene alongside countrymen like Pascal Siakam and Christian Koloko, the chance may not have been there for him to do so at the Olympics. Cameroon has yet to secure its bid but is in the qualifying tournament to try to get there. Siakam and Embiid would make for a formidable pairing but the Toronto Raptors star has never played for his country's national team and there doesn’t appear to be any indication that he will in 2024.

Meanwhile, Team USA and France have secured their spots at the Olympics. ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported that Embiid chose the U.S. because he wanted to win, specifically citing the desire to help the Americans avenge their disappointing, medal-less World Cup. The French squad is highlighted by Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier but Embiid opted for an American team that is projected to be even more stacked.

At this point in his basketball career, Embiid is known far and wide as a playoff failure. His inability to lead the Sixers past the second round is a dark cloud on what has otherwise been a sensational NBA career. While a gold medal with historical powerhouse Team USA doesn’t carry as much significance as an NBA title, it provides another opportunity for great players to compete and capture a championship — on a massive stage that will capture the attention of the entire world, no less.

Team USA landing Joel Embiid is huge, even though he will have to get acclimated to the distinct style of basketball that the Olympics offers. The lack of size on the roster crushed the Americans in the 2023 World Cup and few players can fix that like Philly's seven-foot-tall superstar. Embiid is certain to be a starter as the best center on the roster. Sharing the ball with so many stars will be new to him but could pay off in a massive way. Defensively, Embiid could be one of the most impactful players in the tournament.

Along with representing the United States — something that carries extra meaning for Embiid because of his American-born son, Arthur — Embiid will represent the Sixers in a group setting filled with NBA superstars. Regardless of who commits to the program for the Paris Olympics, this is a chance for Embiid to recruit stars to Philly, which is keeping a cavern of cap space open to make such a coup.

However, of all the big-name players linked to Team USA and the 2024 Olympics, only James could be a free agent after this NBA season. The Los Angeles Lakers star has a player option for 2024-25. The rest of the names that have been reported on or rumored to this point are guys who are in favorable situations and under contract for multiple more years.

The best bet right now is Kawhi Leonard, who said he wanted to play in the World Cup this past summer and has a player option for next season. It's quite hard to imagine him getting pried out of his native Los Angeles, though. DeMar DeRozan also expressed interest in suiting up for the red, white and blue in 2024 and will be a free agent next summer. Beyond them, the options are slim.

Additionally, while the result of this NBA season could open up the possibility of another star hitting the trade market, the Sixers don’t have a great collection of assets to use in a bidding war. A signing in free agency is their best chance. But with a shallow pool of star free agents to go fishing for, the worst-case scenario for the Sixers seems more likely to come into play: the recruitment aspect working against them.

With Philly's foothold amongst the elite teams slipping, players will be pitching their teams as destinations for Joel Embiid to request a trade. The Olympics have been a hotbed for players deciding to join forces, with the most prominent example being the Miami Heat's Big 3.

When Lillard played for Team USA in the 2021 Olympics, the Portland Trail Blazers were trending downward. The relationship he built with Bam Adebayo helped play a part in his desire to be traded to the Miami Heat this offseason. In the two instances that Durant asked out from the Brooklyn Nets (the summer of 2022 and the following trade deadline), his top choice was the Phoenix Suns, whose star player, Booker, captured gold with Durant in 2021.

Of course, more goes into a trade request than just becoming closer with a certain player over the Olympics. Miami and Phoenix both had recent track records of success that appealed to Lillard and Durant when they each sought new homes. But the possibility exists for Embiid to be swayed even more to demand a trade if Philly disappoints in the 2023-24 season.

The potential of Joel Embiid getting recruited away from the Sixers makes his Team USA commitment a double-edged sword for Philly. But at the very least, it gives them a weapon for their fight to remain in title contention.