The start of NBA training camps is less than a month away, but several stars are still believed to be available, raising the possibility of a big trade between now and then. At least one of those deals seems likely, but another big trade may quickly materialize.
With rumors of reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid possibly asking for a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers, other teams are definitely keeping a close eye on the situation. If he becomes available, then pretty much every team will at least consider entering the sweepstakes to try and acquire him, but that’s not exactly how these things tend to go.
If a star demands a trade, he often has a list of teams that he would consider playing for, and that would cut the list of potential teams down to a handful at best. One of those teams could be the New York Knicks, who appear likely to make the theoretical cut.
After all, the Knicks are perhaps the most well-equipped of the teams that made the playoffs last season to trade for a superstar without gutting their roster. That is mainly due to them still having assets left over from their pursuit of Donovan Mitchell, and if Embiid makes it known that he wants out of Philadelphia, then they would be the logical choice as a result. That leads us to a potential Knicks-76ers trade involving Embiid. Next, we’ll discuss the specifics of the trade.
NBA Trades: This bold Knicks-Sixers deal would make New York the favorites in the East.
This hypothetical trade would see the Knicks move RJ Barret, Evan Fournier, Mitchell Robinson, and three firsts for Embiid and P.J. Tucker. That would be a haul for the Sixers, though it could be worth it for the Knicks, who would get their hands on one of the five best players in the NBA.
It would also simultaneously make them an immediate contender without giving up their best players and make it easier to win the Eastern Conference with the Sixers going into rebuilding mode. Speaking of the Sixers, they are sure to want top dollar for their best player, even more so since he has at least a couple of seasons remaining on his contract and is still in his 20s.
Few MVPs have been traded during their prime, and even fewer months after winning the award. There are also at least two other contending teams that could make strong offers for Embiid, increasing the likelihood of a bidding war and the Sixers getting a historic haul for him. Next, we will take a closer look at how an Embiid trade would impact the Knicks and whether they would actually agree to the deal as constructed.
NBA Trade: New York Knicks
This theoretical trade would see the Knicks move two starters and a big expiring contract in addition to three first-round picks for Embiid. All things considered, that would be a worthwhile trade-off since it would give the Knicks the best big man they have had since Patrick Ewing in the 1990s.
Embiid would certainly be their best player in general since Carmelo Anthony during the 2012–13 season. With all-star Julius Randle and borderline all-star Jalen Brunson, the Knicks would have a terrific supporting cast to make them an instant contender post-trade and arguably the team to beat in the East. While the Miami Heat are in hot pursuit of Damian Lillard, even if they get him, they will have to fill out their roster after trading the farm to get him.
That wouldn’t be the case with New York, which would retain key rotation players such as Immanuel Quickley, Quinten Grimes, Josh Hart, and newly acquired guard Donte DiVincenzo. Of course, there would still be the Boston Celtics, who have undergone a fairly big offseason shakeup, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
However, the Celtics have disappointed several times in the playoffs in recent runs, and the Knicks have already beaten the Cavs without Embiid. There would certainly be a path for New York to make the NBA Finals if they completed the deal. Next, we’ll see how the Sixers would fair in this deal.
NBA Trade: Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers already have one star in Harden, who has demanded a trade, and Embiid could soon follow suit. That would all but guarantee a full teardown, with Team President Daryl Morey likely to prioritize draft picks for his two stars.
The Knicks, who were once known to practically give away draft picks, have smartly hoarded them. They own all of their first-rounders going forward and also have some potentially valuable selections from the Milwaukee Bucks and the Dallas Mavericks that they can use instead of their own to acquire Embiid.
That helps both the Knicks and Sixers since the Knicks may be more willing to give up three firsts if only one of them is actually coming from them. On the other hand, the Knicks wouldn’t figure to be bad in the near future after landing a 29-year-old superstar. That would make their first-round picks much less valuable, certainly less so than the Mavericks’ 2024 selection after they missed the playoffs last season and the Bucks’ 2025 selection with their core aging around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Additionally, Robinson is a young athletic starting center, and Barrett is a talented young wing who could be a long-term fit in Philadelphia. That trade might not knock the socks off Sixers fans, but any return for Embiid should be looked at in tandem with any return for Harden.
Getting two young starters and three picks is a great start for a rebuild, and moving Harden would hopefully net them at least a couple more. Based on that, I wouldn’t be surprised if any deal between the Knicks and Sixers for Embiid would be similar to this proposed deal.