Much has been made about the Philadelphia 76ers’ implosion this season. And while some are still holding out hope for a turnaround, there is no denying the disappointment they’ve been to this point.
Since entering the season as Eastern Conference favorites, inconsistency and locker room drama have been a huge problem for the franchise. As things stand now (amid the season’s suspension) they are 39-26 on the season, good enough for 6th in the conference.
Needless to say, the situation is complicated in Philly right now and some major questions have surfaced about not only the future of the team but the future of their dynamic star-duo, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Many in the community believe a split is inevitable — but how might such a thing happen?
According to Preston Ellis of Bleacher Report, the Heat have surfaced as a possible trade partner for Philly and could be willing to give up multiple young players to secure All-Star big man Joel Embiid.
Philadelphia 76ers receive: Bam Adebayo ($5.2 million), Tyler Herro ($3.8 million)
Miami Heat receive: Joel Embiid ($29.5 million)
The pairing of Embiid and Butler nearly helped the Sixers knock off the eventual champion Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2018-19. The Heat are also poised to be one of the few teams with available cap space this summer, so they could pull off a lopsided trade in terms of salary.
It might not seem like enough, but the combined forces of Bam and Herro (with another young piece like Duncan Robinson) might make a decent return for the injury-plagued Embiid.
Embiid’s age (26) and injury history should make a swap for 22-year-old All-Star big man Bam Adebayo and rookie sharpshooter Tyler Hero more palatable for Philadelphia. Herro would be the perfect complement to Ben Simmons and would replace the shooting the Sixers desperately missed following JJ Redick’s free-agent departure, while Adebayo could assume Embiid’s role as their interior anchor.
Admittedly, the deal is a long-shot. Embiid is, arguably, the NBA’s best center, and trading him for several young, unproven talents may not be the smartest move.
But if the situation continues to devolve for Philadelphia, they’ll have to choose between one of their two stars. In that case, why not trade the one with the sketchy injury history? And while trading for two young players has its risks, Bam is already an NBA All-Star, Herro is a knockdown three-point shooter with loads of untapped potential, and Robinson has been a quality bench scorer.
It’ll be interesting to see what transpires in the weeks and months to come.
