An interesting trade proposal has the Philadelphia 76ers shaking up the NBA landscape by dealing the reigning league MVP to a top Western Conference club.
There are no indicators that the 76ers are shopping Embiid, nor should they given their promising start under new head coach Nick Nurse. But don’t forget that this past summer, Embiid hinted at leaving Philly in the future when he talked about his desire to win championships with the 76ers “or anywhere else.”
If the 76ers end up shopping Embiid down the road, certainly more than a dozen teams will end up expressing serious interest. You almost never see a top-five player in the NBA hit the trade market, after all.
At NBA Analysis Network, James Piercey recently proposed an interesting trade idea that has Philly sending Embiid to the up-and-coming Sacramento Kings in exchange for Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis, Trey Lyles plus 2026, 2028 and 2030 first-round picks:
“Remember the Damian Lillard trade from this summer? The Portland Trail Blazers acquired Jrue Holiday from the Milwaukee Bucks. Then, they traded Holiday. The Sixers could operate similarly here. They could trade Embiid for Sabonis and some draft capital, and then, they could shop Sabonis for more picks.
Alternatively, they could pair Sabonis with Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris. We’ve already seen how Sabonis can operate as a playmaker in the high post with a downhill guard like Maxey alongside him.
Either way, this deal gives the Sixers options.”
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The Kings finished 48-34 last season to end a 17-year playoff drought, but they were defeated by the defending champion Golden State Warriors in the opening round of the postseason. Clearly, this group is another superstar-level player away from emerging as a title contender.
Sacramento has a promising core here led by De’Aaron Fox, Sabonis and Murray. But if they could somehow add a superstar of Embiid’s caliber, they would unquestionably be ready to compete with the other Western Conference heavyweights.
