Full case file · Center · Philadelphia 76ers · Basketball

Joel Embiid

490 of 964 possible team games since being drafted in 2014
Repeat offender 474 career games missed
Estimated salary collected across every game missed, career-wide
$137,082,559
Sum of each season's base salary, prorated per game and multiplied by that season's games missed — from 2014-15 through 2025-26.
12 seasons tracked
474 of 964 expected games missed
$317,196,490 in base salary paid
= $137,082,559 earned inactive
Games played
490
of 964 possible
Games missed
474
49.2% of tracked span
Full seasons lost
2
played 0 games
Base salary, tracked span
$317,196,490
excludes bonuses, endorsements

Availability, tracked seasons

490 played (50.8%)
2014-15 474 expected games missed across 12 seasons 2025-26

The ledger, season by season

Base salary ÷ expected games that season × games missed that season. "Expected games" is the team's full schedule for position players, or a starting pitcher's typical rotation turns (~team games ÷ 5) — a healthy ace was never going to start 162 games either. Figures are approximate, sourced from public salary and game-log reporting.

Season Expected Played Missed Base salary Per game Collected inactive
2014-15
Missed full season - foot surgery, no NBA debut yet
82 0 82 $2,213,640 $26,996 $2,213,640
2015-16
Missed full season - setback in foot recovery
82 0 82 $2,297,760 $28,021 $2,297,760
2016-17
NBA debut in Nov.; torn meniscus ends season in Feb.
82 31 51 $4,626,960 $56,426 $2,877,743
2017-18
Final year of rookie-scale contract
82 63 19 $6,100,266 $74,393 $1,413,476
2018-19
First year of 5-yr max extension
82 64 18 $25,467,250 $310,576 $5,590,372
2019-20
League-wide season shortened by COVID-19 stoppage
72 51 21 $27,504,630 $382,009 $8,022,184
2020-21
72-game COVID-shortened season
72 51 21 $29,542,010 $410,306 $8,616,420
2021-22 82 68 14 $31,579,390 $385,115 $5,391,603
2022-23
MVP season
82 66 16 $33,616,770 $409,961 $6,559,370
2023-24
Left knee ruled out for remainder of season
82 39 43 $47,607,350 $580,577 $24,964,830
2024-25
Season-ending knee surgery in February
82 19 63 $51,415,938 $627,024 $39,502,489
2025-26
Knee soreness, oblique strain, appendectomy
82 38 44 $55,224,526 $673,470 $29,632,672
Career total 964 490 474 $317,196,490 $137,082,559

Sources