LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid sealed a five-year contract extension on Tuesday, with the injury-plagued Cameroon-born star saying he hoped to finish his career with the team.
The 76ers did not confirm the financial terms of the deal but several US media outlets reported that Embiid stands to earn $148 million (125.3 million euros) over the course of the extension.
If confirmed, that would mean Embiid, 23, is being paid the maximum allowed under the rookie wage scale, having played only 31 games over three seasons.
Embiid missed the first two seasons after being drafted in 2014 and suffered a knee injury last season which meant he only played 31 games.
“Joel Embiid is a transformative young talent that you rarely come across in our game,” 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo said in a statement.
“Joel is only scratching the surface, but he has all the potential and promise to go down as one of the all-time greats to wear a Sixers jersey. Ownership’s willingness to extend this contract reflects our collective belief in Joel Embiid and a reinforced commitment to building a championship-level basketball program.”
Embiid scored 20 or more points in 19 of 31 games last season before suffering a knee injury in January that required surgery.
“I’m so thrilled to be in this position,” Embiid said in a statement.
“I want to thank ownership, management, the coaches and most of all the fans, for supporting me throughout this whole process. I love this city and I’m so, so, so, so excited to be spending my next five years here and hopefully the rest of my career, God willing. Trust ‘The Process.'”
© Agence France-Presse