• Joel Embiid’s time with the Philadelphia 76ers could come to an end sooner rather than later
• The 76ers center could be the perfect piece for the OKC Thunder to realize their championship aspirations
• This proposed blockbuster trade forms the shape of a trade that ends ‘The Process’ in Philadelphia
The Joel Embiid era in Philadelphia looks more unsteady with every passing day. The 76ers cannot figure out what they want to do with James Harden, reportedly turning down various offers from the Los Angeles Clippers. They want to maintain their contending window with Embiid, but with the strides the Bucks and Celtics have taken this summer, it’s looking increasingly challenging for the 76ers to be a contender.
With Embiid never having made it past the second round with the 76ers, it may be time for Philly to cash in when the value of the reigning MVP is at its highest to get players that could kickstart their rebuild. While teams like the Knicks will be hovering, it seems the Oklahoma City Thunder could easily swing a trade for Embiid with their stockpile of assets and players.
Trade Details
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Josh Giddey, Chet Holmgren, 2025 First-Round Pick (PHI), 2025 First-Round Pick (OKC), 2026 First-Round Pick (LAC), 2027 First-Round Pick (OKC)
Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: Joel Embiid
This trade sees the 76ers add Josh Giddey and Chet Holmgren, arguably the two best players in OKC not named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Their high ceilings would help the 76ers find a new future star, as the pair join Tyrese Maxey to lead the 76ers into their next era.
The Philadelphia 76ers Quickly Rebuild
There is not an asset package that will seem satisfactory for a player of Embiid’s caliber. But out of all the options, including the Knicks, the Thunder offer something that no other team can. They offer two players under the age of 21 who are top-6 picks and could lead the franchise to great heights along with Tyrese Maxey. Holmgren will be a rookie, so there will be some questions about his true talent level and whether the team can extract that value from him.
Giddey would easily take the starting point guard role and form a pretty dangerous backcourt with Tyrese Maxey. Giddey is a triple-double threat every time he steps onto the court. With Maxey’s scoring ability next to Giddey, they form a backcourt that people could consider as one of the best in the league in a few years.
Philly will have to eat Davis Bertans’ contract for one season, but the very valuable picks they receive will make that palatable. In addition to getting their 2025 first-round pick back, Philly could receive a juicy pick in this trade, the 2026 Clippers pick that is unprotected.
The Thunder Begin Climbing The Mountain Top Once Again
The Thunder made the NBA Finals in 2012 and spent years chasing that accomplishment. James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook led them to that achievement and have been gone for many years from the franchise. By acquiring Embiid, they replace the MVP-level stars they lost with the reigning MVP on the roster. Given the team is led by a guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the on-court fit with Embiid could be easy to manage.
Embiid averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists last season and was awarded the regular season MVP. If the Thunder jump on this opportunity now, they’ll become the first team ever to trade for a reigning MVP. But this is an incredible haul as OKC gives up some of their most valuable short-term picks along with their two best young players. OKC will have to fast-track their championship window alongside Shai and Embiid with a roster to fill out.
What’s incredible is that this trade still leaves enough assets for the Thunder to effortlessly build a roster around their duo, and throw first-round picks at any team that is holding on to a player they need for this. Lu Dort would be a priority to keep given his win-now skill set.
Both Teams Swap Directions
This trade signifies the end of ‘The Process’ in Philadelphia, the affectionate nickname given to the tanking years in Philly where they bottomed out every season to get the chance to draft a player like Embiid. While they had their duds with Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons, it’s safe to say they knocked it out of the park with Embiid. Drafting a generational player like that won’t be easy, but getting similarly touted prospects like Holmgren and Giddey may be the best they can do.
The Thunder have been in a rebuild since the 2019/20 season that saw them trade both Russell Westbrook and Paul George away. The George trade netted them Shai and picks until 2026, while the Westbrook trade also got a similar pick return. The rebuild would finally end as the Thunder would go all-in on the Shai-Embiid duo and spend more assets to ensure they have what they need to contend for a title.
Philly likely starts falling down the pecking order after a trade like this, but they could genuinely still push for a playoff berth in a conference with a relatively weak lower order. The Thunder, on the other hand, have quite the gauntlet to run through in the West with teams like the Nuggets, Lakers, and Suns lying in their wake.
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