Fans vote out Joel Embiid, all love for VJ Maxx, and more takeaways from our Sixers Stay or Go results
For the first time since we’ve been tracking the data, a majority of fans want the former MVP center gone.
The 76ers pulled off an improbable first-round win over the Boston Celtics, but it wasn’t enough to net the franchise its first Eastern Conference finals appearance since 2001.
The team enters the summer with a star-heavy roster and limited salary cap flexibility. The Sixers, who are currently in the market for a new top basketball executive, will need to get creative to add depth to their roster and compete with the NBA’s elite.
In our in our Stay or Go poll, Inquirer readers got their shot at deciding how the Sixers should handle the current roster before moving forward into the summer. Here are our takeaways from the results …
Fans split over Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid came in at 53.5% Go. Even after returning from an appendectomy and leading a heroic 3-1 comeback over Boston, Sixers fans still aren’t sold on Embiid in the long run. Last year, after a season-ending injury and no Sixers postseason berth, Embiid still received a majority of Stay votes (even if it was a slim majority at 53.8%). In our previous three years of data, the former MVP never received lower than 85% Stay.
» READ MORE: Sixers offseason preview: Free-agency priorities, front-office hires and the futures of Joel Embiid and Paul George
Embiid said his knee injuries are “behind him,” but he still missed more than half the regular season and four playoff games. His contract and injury history makes him extremely challenging to trade, but many fans in the poll still hope to see the Sixers restructure around Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
Everyone loves VJ Maxx
Predictably, Maxey (91.6% Stay) and Edgecombe (93.5% Stay) graded out the best of any Sixers players. Maxey had a career year in which he rated top five in scoring and averaged the most minutes of any NBA player. He was named Third-Team All-NBA as a result. Edgecombe also shined in his rookie year, finishing on the All-Rookie First Team and as a Rookie of the Year finalist. He tied for the ninth-most minutes per game of any NBA player.
Now, finding a way to get those guys a bit more rest is going to be key to the Sixers’ offseason plans, but nearly all fans are in agreement that those two will be key for the Sixers for years to come.
Curious, George
Paul George played some of his best basketball down the stretch after serving a 25-game suspension, emerging as the three-and-D option the Sixers hoped for when he signed a four-year, $212 million deal. But George is 36 and oft-injured. Fans were divided on whether the Sixers should look to trade George or keep him, with 56% picking Stay.
While it’s not overwhelmingly positive, it is better than Embiid — and it’s more than 20% higher than the 34.3% of fans who voted to keep George after the team’s miserable 2024-25 campaign.
Kelly Oubre vs. Quentin Grimes
Kelly Oubre Jr., and Quentin Grimes are both free agents this summer. If the Sixers can only keep one of them, fans overwhelmingly made their choice on who they think should stay.
Oubre earned 86.3% Stay votes, compared to Grimes’ 42.6% Stay. Oubre, who’s percentage is right in line with where he finished each of the last two seasons, was a capable starter and bench player who improved his efficiency this year. Grimes, however, was less effective as a sixth man and saw his number drop nearly 50 points, down from 90.7% last year.
