It was the same old story for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2022-23 season as they once again saw their campaign end in the Conference Semifinals.
In the immediate aftermath, reports started emerging of teams like the New York Knicks pursuing Joel Embiid in the offseason, but Keith Pompey from The Philadelphia Inquirer made it clear that the team considers him untouchable.
“There’s no plan to trade Embiid at any point. So, yes, he is very much untouchable.”
Pompey went on to add that the Sixers won’t get equal value for a player like Embiid and they certainly won’t. An NBA GM suggested that a trade for someone like Kawhi Leonard might be the only one that would fit the bill for the Sixers but you don’t see the Los Angeles Clippers being interested in making this move.
Any trade with the Knicks would potentially see them get the likes of RJ Barrett and Julius Randle in return and that would be a pretty terrible haul, no matter how many draft picks are involved. Embiid’s stock may be low after a disappointing postseason but he is the MVP and is coming off a season where he averaged 33.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 1.7 BPG. He has established himself as one of the very best players in the league and you do everything in your power to hold on to someone like him.
The Sixers Need To Ensure Joel Embiid Is A Happy Camper
Keeping Embiid happy would be the top priority for the Sixers but they have already made one decision that he didn’t particularly like. Team president Daryl Morey stated that Embiid was unhappy with the firing of Doc Rivers as the two were very close and Morey needs to get this next hire right, or else they might be in some trouble.
Another factor in this equation would be James Harden’s future. If Harden does depart in free agency, then how would Embiid react to that? Without Harden, the Sixers have absolutely no chance of competing for a championship and that could lead to the big man wanting out. This is really shaping up to be the most important offseason in recent history for the Sixers.
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