It took just four games for the Philadelphia 76ers to realize that Joel Embiid is no longer the franchise player. Tyrese Maxey has put himself squarely in premature MVP discussions and VJ Edgecombe has emerged as a Rookie of the Year candidate drawing comparisons to Dwyane Wade.
The 76ers should by no means trade Embiid at this point, but they should embrace the need to transition from building around Embiid to simply incorporating him into their plans.
Philadelphia has spent the last 11 years building around Embiid, with seven postseason appearances. During that time, he has won an MVP award and two scoring titles, while securing five All-NBA selections.
At 31 years old, it stands to reason that Embiid still has the ability to anchor the 76ers’ efforts as a dominant scorer and imposing defensive presence.
However, for the first time during the Embiid era, the 76ers have built a team that can stand on its own. Most agree this is a positive, especially when it comes to the opportunity to complement Embiid’s talent with a supporting cast strong enough to compete.
What Philadelphia has ultimately created is a team that is no longer at the mercy of Embiid’s injury history and availability, meaning he is no longer the true franchise player.
76ers need to continue building a great team with, and not around, Joel Embiid
Maxey cemented his place as one of the best guards in the NBA in 2023-24, when he won the Most Improved Player award and earned his first career All-Star selection. He did this while averaging 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 3.0 three-point field goals per game on .450/.373/.868 shooting.
More important than the accolades or stats, however, is the fact that Maxey carried the 76ers to 47 wins despite Embiid missing 43 games that season.
Two years later, Maxey takes his game to a whole new level. He scored more than 40 points in two of the first four games of the 2025-26 regular season, dropped 39 points and 10 assists in another, and had a modest 28 points and nine dimes in the only game in which he failed to score at least 30.
Maybe Maxey won’t sustain such a dominant level of play, but as an All-Star who is only 24 years old and already has 41 games of postseason experience, there is reason to believe the leap to superstardom is legitimate.
Maxey is not a flash in the pan who has never reached the level of a star player. He averaged 25.9 points per game in 2023-24 and 26.3 in 2024-25, even reaching 20.3 points per game on .481/.434/.845 shooting in 2022-23.
With three years of star play under his belt and two years in which he came close to All-NBA territory, it may have only been a matter of time before Maxey became a franchise player.
Tyrese Maxey has changed the dynamic of conversations with franchise players
Edgecombe has taken this conversation in a shocking new direction as a player who provides immediate mutual value. Philadelphia now appears to have one of the best backcourts in the NBA, with two players who can create their own shots and a 2-guard who looks like a potentially elite defender.
Combined with the presence of 25-year-old winger Quentin Grimes, who picks up where he left off after taking a leap forward in the 2024-25 season, the 76ers have a postseason-caliber scoring trio.
With this in mind, the 76ers have every reason to believe they can build a contender around their new backcourt. That also doesn’t necessarily mean Embiid will be included in the plans, as his injury history would be a justifiable reason to move on.
Embiid missed 43 games in 2023-24 and 63 in 2024-25. Additionally, he only played in at least 60 games in four of his nine completed seasons.
However, the 76ers are still better off with Embiid rather than trading him, as he is one of the best players in the NBA when healthy. For that matter, he can still be an offensive focal point that the system even has.
However, with a young core that appears poised to compete sustainably and ultimately contend, the 76ers must accept that Embiid can no longer be the player they make trades and contracts for.
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