A massive trade proposal has the Philadelphia 76ers trading franchise star and reigning league MVP Joel Embiid to an up-and-coming team in the West.
Last month, Embiid made headlines at the Uninterrupted Film Festival when he said his desire was to win NBA championships, be it with Philadelphia “or anywhere else.” This has led to speculation that he may eye a trade out of Philadelphia down the road.
Embiid hasn’t outright requested a trade, of course, and the 76ers haven’t given any hints that they’d like to trade the future Hall of Famer. But what if a team comes forward with an offer that Philly can’t refuse?
At NBA Analysis Network, James Piercey proposed a blockbuster trade idea that has the 76ers dealing Embiid to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., Alperen Şengün, 2023 first-round pick Amen Thompson plus first-round picks in 2024, 2026, 2028 and 2029:
“They do this deal if there’s nothing they can do to appease him.
In that event, they’ll look to rebuild. The Sixers could get more draft capital from another team. If that’s their focus, they should look to the Oklahoma City Thunder or the New York Knicks. On the other hand, shouldn’t recent lottery picks be more valuable to a rebuilding team?
The big prize here may be Amen Thompson. He’s got boundless potential. The Rockets could be weary of his fit with Embiid – Thompson is remarkably similar to Ben Simmons – but the Sixers should be happy to construct a roster around him. Meanwhile, Sengun has already flashed star potential, and Smith Jr. has an elite physical makeup. All told, this could be enough to inspire the Sixers to undergo another process.”
The Rockets have been rebuilding since they traded James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets back in 2021. Harden, Embiid’s teammate, requested a trade from Philadelphia earlier this offseason. So far, however, the 76ers haven’t found a deal for their liking.
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If Embiid ends up requesting a trade, there certainly won’t be a shortage of interested teams. But if the 76ers can get over the playoff hump and (finally) go on a deep playoff run in 2024, they just might convince Embiid to stick around long-term.
One way or another, a fascinating 2023-24 campaign awaits in Philadelphia.
