A fan favorite of the Philadelphia 76ers, here are three potentially franchise-altering trade propositions for All-Star center Joel Embiid.
When he burst onto the scene to commence the 2016-17 NBA season, Joel Embiid instantly became a fan favorite for the followers of the Philadelphia 76ers. With the combination of an effervescent personality and incredible skill package for a 7’2″ center, Embiid’s impact on the Sixers has been simply remarkable.
So while Embiid’s has quickly proven to be one of the most dominating players in the league on both ends of the floor, his ability to physically stay on the floor is another matter altogether. In addition to missing his first two seasons since being taken No. 3 overall in 2014 due to serious foot issues, Embiid played in just 31 games in his debut season due to knee issues that eventually required surgery.
And while he has appeared in 63 and 64 games in each of the past two seasons, Embiid’s health was a constant source of concern during the Sixers recent playoff run, which saw him sidelined for one game in the first round and compromised in many others.
At 25 and still yet to hit his prime, it, of course, would represent a monumental risk to part ways with Embiid, given the unlimited upside he possesses moving forward. However, as we saw with 7’6″ Houston Rockets‘ center Yao Ming, recurring injuries to elite big men means there is every chance a premature retirement from the game could eventuate. In the case of Ming, following eight All-Star appearances, he wound up retiring at the age of 30.
"My theory on this: You keep Jimmy Butler, you keep Ben Simmons, you trade Joel Embiid and get shooters. Don't overpay for Tobias Harris. You keep J.J. Redick."@ColinCowherd on the 76ers offseason plan pic.twitter.com/0nRE450zpk
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) May 13, 2019
Recently, outspoken commentator Colin Cowherd made the following comments regarding a potential Embiid trade on his daily show, The Herd with Colin Cowherd on FOXSports:
"“Make tough choices. Make sure you make the right ones, Oklahoma City did not. Chose Westbrook over Harden and KD.Make tough choices – Embiid’s body is not gonna last, Embiid and Simmons don’t get along…..You could not win a second round playoff series in the East….and the East is weaker than the West….I would say this Philadelphia – if you want to know how to do it, and make sure you want to win going forward, look across the street to the Philadelphia Eagles. They didn’t do the popular thing. They let go of Nick Foles. Nick Foles won a Super Bowl, the MVP….and you know what the Eagles said….bye-bye.”"
While these are strong words from Cowherd, they nonetheless have some substance and certainly cause for a strong debate. If the Sixers were to entertain the prospect of dealing Embiid, there would obviously be a plethora of teams clamoring for their franchise center.
With this in mind, here are three potential landing spots for the native of Cameroon.