Philadelphia 76ers’ superstar and reigning league MVP Joel Embiid made headlines last month when he offered comments that naturally led to speculation that he could be traded in the not-so-distant future.
At the Uninterrupted Film Festival, the future Hall of Famer talked about his desire to win championships with the 76ers “or anywhere else.” Many took this as a hint that Embiid may be keen on leaving Philadelphia some day.
Embiid hasn’t outright requested a trade, and the 76ers haven’t offered any hints that they’re looking to trade their franchise player. But what if Philadelphia received an offer from an Atlantic Division rival that they couldn’t refuse?
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley proposed a massive trade idea that has the 76ers dealing Embiid to the New York Knicks in exchange for young star R.J. Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, Mitchell Robinson, two 2024 first-round picks (one via the Washington Wizards) plus 2025 and 2026 first-round picks:
“While the Knicks have assembled a rock-solid squad, they still seem a superstar short of championship contention. Embiid, the reigning MVP and back-to-back scoring champ, scratches that itch as well (or better) than any remotely realistically available trade target.
As for the Sixers, an Embiid deal would spiral them into a long-term rebuild, so they should seek out as many picks and prospects as possible. New York could go even heavier on the former by adding extra firsts or pick swaps, but that might mean losing some of the latter. If Philly plans on keeping Tyrese Maxey, it might want players on his timeline, and all four of the incoming prospects qualify. Maxey and Quickley even shared a backcourt at Kentucky.”
The Knicks were previously mentioned last month as a potential landing spot by Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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New York has turned a corner under head coach Tom Thibodeau, who has guided them to postseason appearances in two of the last three years. They defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the opening round of this year’s postseason, winning their first playoff series in a decade.
Adding a player of Embiid’s caliber (if the 76ers are willing to trade him, of course), could help move into the upper echelon of contenders in the Eastern Conference.
