The Philadelphia 76ers enter the 2025-26 NBA season under a lot of scrutiny. Despite having a top-five pick, expectations remain high for a roster built around Joel Embiid and Paul George. Three-time NBA champion Danny Green believes no team faces more pressure than Philadelphia.
“They talk about blowing it up every year,” Green said. “What do we do with Joel Embiid? If they don’t win this year, there’s going to be smoke in the city and they’re going to have to make a lot of changes, and that’s probably going to start with Joel.”
Stars who didn’t make it deep into the playoffs
Since his debut in 2016, Embiid has been a cornerstone for the Sixers and the 2023 MVP. Individually, he produced great work, but the team’s success was always less than stellar. During his tenure, the 76ers have yet to reach the conference finals.
Last season was perhaps the most disappointing of the Embiid era. Injuries limited him to just 19 games, and the team selected him with the third overall pick in the draft. The drop is huge for a team that was once considered a top contender in the East.
Philadelphia’s woes are not entirely self-inflicted. There are multiple injuries on the roster, including Embiid and George — both players with long-term medical conditions. Still, Green believes another disappointing season could push the team to make major changes.
The “Untradeable” Myth
Green stopped short of predicting an Embiid trade but admitted it was a possibility if results don’t improve. “There’s no such thing,” he said when asked about non-tradeable contracts. “Everything is tradeable. I bet there’s a lot of low-level, bottom-level and mid-level teams that want Joe to go out and sell tickets and try to put himself in playoff contention.”
A critical year ahead
The Sixers invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Embiid and have long dreamed of him retiring in Philadelphia. But with another lost season, that dream may be dashed. As Green said, “They have the most pressure to win. My roster is my roster.”
For Embiid and the Sixers, the message is clear: 2025-26 is about championships or change.
