A major trade proposal has the San Antonio Spurs acquiring one of the NBA’s premier superstars to complement rookie Victor Wembanyama.
The Spurs were the lucky winners of the draft lottery, allowing them to select the generational 19-year-old with the top pick. Wembanyama will instantly make the Spurs better in 2023-24, but what if they entered win-now mode by adding a proven superstar?
At NBA Analysis Network, James Piercey proposed a blockbuster trade that has the Spurs acquiring Joel Embiid from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Reggie Bullock, Devonte’ Graham, Keldon Johnson and first-round draft picks in 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027:
“They’ve already landed their franchise player. If the right opportunity becomes available, they could pivot into win-now mode. Acquiring one of a handful of the best players in the NBA feels like the right opportunity.
The Spurs would be gambling that Embiid and Wembanyama’s primes intersect. They’d need Wembanyama to round into superstar form in the next three years or so before Embiid starts to age out of his peak impact. If that happens, this deal could have the Spurs winning an NBA title.”
Embiid hasn’t outright requested a trade from the 76ers, but he made headlines following cryptic comments at the Uninterrupted Film Festival. There, the 2023 league MVP talked about his desire to win championships, be it with the 76ers “or anywhere else.”
But if the Spurs could somehow complete a trade for Embiid, it would immediately launch them into championship contention. They’d be pairing a top-five player in the world with Wembanyama, who himself could be a top-five player within a few years.
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Embiid has led Philly to playoff appearances in each of the last six years, but the club has failed to advance past the second round each year. If the 76ers experience another early playoff exit in 2024, perhaps Embiid will end up requesting a trade.
