NBA Rumors: Joel Embiid's 76ers Contract Guaranteed for Final 3 Years, $95M

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will have his contract fully guaranteed after an agreement between the NBA and NBPA to prorate all performance-based bonus, according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski.

The changes make March 11 the end date for the regular season, the final day before the 2019-20 campaign was suspended because of the coronavirus.

Embiid needed to play 1,650 minutes in the 82-game season to guarantee the remainder of his five-year, $148 million contract, which has three years and $95 million remaining after this season. With the 76ers finishing just 65 games, that requirement would drop to 1,308 minutes on a prorated amount.

The center played 1,329 minutes this season, putting him over the top for his contract.

Per Spotrac, Embiid needed to reach 1,650 in three straight seasons or three of four in order to reach the guarantees. Despite his injuries, he played 1,912 minutes in 2017-18 and 2,154 in 2018-19.

Without this total, the 76ers had the right to waive the player after any season with a reduced guarantee. If he was waived this offseason, the team would only owe $98.2 million of the initial contract.

Philadelphia likely wants to keep the three-time All-Star on the roster considering his production when healthy. The 26-year-old was second-team All-NBA in each of the past two years, playing well again in 2019-20 with averages of 23.4 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

However, durability has been a significant concern since he was taken with the No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft.

Embiid missed his first two seasons with foot injuries, and he has failed to top 64 games in any of the next four years. A shoulder injury kept him on the sidelines in March, and the season was suspended just after his first game back.

He has fortunately done enough to satisfy his contract requirements, but the 76ers need him to stay healthy if they want to compete for an NBA title.