Embiid: Hinkie 'kind of lost his job because of me'

The Philadelphia 76ers are blossoming after years taking root in the dirt, but the man who planted the seeds is no longer tending the garden.

Former Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie was forced out in April 2016, before he had a chance to see his bold vision through, and before Joel Embiid - who Hinkie drafted third overall in 2014 - had played a single NBA minute.

Now that he's established himself as the crown jewel of The Process and one of the most impactful players in the game, Embiid feels he owes Hinkie a debt. Which is part of the reason he's made a point of keeping in touch.

"Yeah, we text sometimes. We talk to each other sometimes," Embiid told NBA.com's David Aldridge. "I mean, that's the guy that drafted me, and he made sure he put everything in place so I could get healthy. And I got healthy and I got back on the court. And I feel like he basically kind of lost his job because of me, because I missed two years. So I feel like I owe him a lot. Yeah, we talk. We talk sometimes."

It's unfair to say Embiid's injuries alone cost Hinkie his job, but it's not a stretch to suggest he might've bought Hinkie some more time if his health had cooperated. Since Hinkie and the Sixers began their scorched-earth rebuild, they're 63-239 in games they've played without Embiid. With him in the lineup, they're 25-27.