The New York Knicks were reportedly prepared to offer every available draft pick in their arsenal to acquire Joel Embiid before ultimately pivoting to trades for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. According to Jake Fischer, the Knicks were the biggest looming threat had Embiid ever become available on the trade market.
“Once upon a time, Philly presumably could have extracted every draft pick that New York possessed before it splurged on trades for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks were always the rival threat, sources said, that Sixers officials knew was waiting to pounce if Embiid ever reached the trade market.”
Instead of making a move for the former MVP, the Knicks turned their attention to acquiring Bridges and Towns, two players who fit their current core. In the Bridges trade, the Knicks sent four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick from the Bucks, an unprotected pick swap, and a second-rounder to the Brooklyn Nets.
Later, they acquired Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a three-team blockbuster, sending Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round pick via Detroit to Minnesota while also moving additional salary and draft compensation to the Charlotte Hornets.
While the Knicks have solidified themselves as a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference, the Sixers’ situation has only worsened. Embiid has played in just 19 of the team’s 58 games this season due to persistent injury issues, and there are now reports that he and the team are considering surgery and that he could nearly be out for a year.
The MVP big man himself admitted that he doesn’t fully trust his knee, which raises even more concerns about his long-term durability. With over 400 games missed in his career and an extension set to kick in two seasons from now, Embiid may now be the most untradeable superstar in the league.
The Sixers’ struggles without Embiid have been glaring, as they currently sit at 20-38, placing them 12th in the Eastern Conference. Their future looks bleak, with no clear path back to contention, especially if Embiid’s health remains a major question mark. Meanwhile, the Knicks, who are 38-20 and hold the third seed in the East, have emerged as one of the conference’s top teams.
However, despite their impressive record, they have yet to secure victories against the true title contenders in the league.
Had the Knicks gone all-in for Embiid, they would have taken on significant risk, considering his injury history and contract situation. Instead, they opted to build a well-rounded team by adding Bridges and Towns, both of whom offer stability and durability.
With Jalen Brunson leading the charge and a deep roster surrounding him, the Knicks are now positioned to compete at the highest level without mortgaging their entire future for a player with serious availability concerns.
Although the Knicks still have a couple of first-round picks left to trade, their moves so far suggest they are done making major splashes for now. They have assembled one of the deepest rosters in the NBA, and if they can continue to develop chemistry, they could be a legitimate threat in the East for years to come.
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