Joel Embiid Wants to Win NBA Title with 76ers 'or Anywhere Else' amid Trade Rumors

Joel Embiid is apparently putting the Philadelphia 76ers on notice.

The reigning NBA MVP opened up the possibility of leaving Philadelphia to win a championship in an interview with Maverick Carter at the Uninterrupted Film Festival.

"I just want to win a championship, whatever it takes. I don't know where that's going to be, whether it's in Philly or anywhere else," Embiid said. "I just want to have a chance to accomplish that, I want to see what that feels like to win that first one, and then you can think about the next one. It's not easy, it takes more than one two or three guys. Got to have good people around you, and myself, every single day I work hard to be at that level so I can push us to make it happen. Every single day that's working toward that goal, that's where my mindset has always been. MVP is just an added bonus."

Joel Embiid is apparently putting the Philadelphia 76ers on notice.

Embiid is coming off his finest individual season, averaging 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game on his way to his first MVP. Team success did not follow, as the Sixers blew a 3-2 lead against the Boston Celtics in the second round.

The Sixers have not gotten past the conference semifinals during Embiid's career. While Embiid was largely able to avoid public criticism earlier in this career, his MVP status eliminated any remaining patience the public had with the Sixers' playoff shortcomings. He's now the fodder of daytime sports talk programming, emerging as the new centerpiece of the debate between rings and regular-season performance—particularly after Nikola Jokić led the Denver Nuggets to a title.

It was easy to point at Ben Simmons as the culprit for the Sixers' playoff struggles a few years ago, and James Harden certainly shares his own blame now. But Embiid now bears the burden of superstar expectations; the Sixers' playoff performance is his performance.

Philadelphia's ability to build a championship-caliber roster is also in question with Harden potentially looking for an exit this offseason. Harden opted into his $35.6 million player option for 2023-24 with hopes of forcing a trade out of Philadelphia after the Sixers balked at giving him a long-term contract. If Harden exits, the Sixers would be left with Embiid on an island as the only All-Star on the roster—not an ideal scenario for a 29-year-old facing championship pressure.

Though the comments were largely benign, they're also a sign Embiid may have started considering a life outside of Philadelphia if the team continues to struggle building around him.