With their loss to the Miami Heat on Saturday night, the Sixers have officially been eliminated from postseason contention in the 2024-25 season. With eight games left on their schedule, the 23-51 Sixers can finish no higher than 11th in the Eastern Conference. It is an embarrassing outcome for a team that entered the year hoping to return to being genuine championship contenders.
This is the first time the Sixers have missed the playoffs in nearly a decade. The last time their season ended after 82 games was in 2016-17, when Joel Embiid played 31 games in his first active campaign while Ben Simmons missed the entirety of his first NBA season. Still, the Sixers showed major signs of promise that season, secured a top draft pick and entered the following year with tons of excitement.
Will any sort of excitement exist when this organization is preparing for the 2025-26 season? A miraculous lottery jump to land someone like Duke phenom Cooper Flagg would go a long way, but beyond that sort of franchise-altering event, it may be difficult for the Sixers to spark any sort of optimism for the time being — not because of the fact that this season has gone so poorly, but because of why it has happened.
There are many parties deserving of some culpability in all of this, but the absolute primary factor behind this disastrous season: the Sixers paid over $100 million this season to Embiid and Paul George.
Due to repeated left knee issues, not to mention a foot sprain, sinus fracture and suspension, Embiid only played in 19 games — and was a far cry from the player that dominated the NBA for years leading up to this one. The volatile state of Embiid's knee has force many to call into question whether or not the former MVP will ever be able to play regularly again, let alone return to the game-wrecking two-way force he once was.
George, meanwhile, only played 41 games in an injury-riddled debut season with the Sixers. What was more concerning was that even when George had (by all accounts) a clean bill of health, he looked nothing like a nine-time All-Star. George's off-the-dribble explosion waned significantly in his 15th season; it is reflected in his statistical profile and an extremely ominous indicator for his long-term outlook.
The only thing scarier for the Sixers to observe than the enormity of those two players' declines is the remaining financial commitments owed to each one. Embiid, 31, inked a three-year, $193 million contract extension before the season started, but that deal does not kick in until after 2025-26, the final season of his current contract. Embiid is locked in for the next four years at $248 million. There are three years left on George's four-year, $211 million max contract; the Sixers owe him another $162 million.
Even if they cannot land the No. 1 overall pick to select Flagg, the Sixers' only possible saving grace at this point is to successfully safeguard their own first-round pick, which will convey to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it does not land in the top six.
That will be the focus for the Sixers between now and their regular season finale on April 13, and every single loss they can bank before then will be crucial. No matter how this season ends, the Sixers will have a real chance of holding onto their pick and incur a serious risk of losing it. All they can do now is maximize their odds.
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