Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has been floated in NBA trade rumors since the offseason began. As the franchise stands on the verge of potentially losing James Harden, it also faces a decision regarding Embiid’s future.
The reigning NBA MVP is coming off a career-best season and is under team control through the 2025-’26 season as one of the highest-paid NBA players. Embiid, age 29, loves Philadelphia and has become one of the best players in franchise history.
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However, the process that led to landing Embiid and then building a roster around him hasn’t delivered the results sought by the franchise. The 76ers last reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001, losing in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in five of the last six seasons.
During that time, Embiid has often struggled in the playoffs. The 7-foot center shot 43.1 percent from the field in nine playoff games this year after shooting 54.8 percent in the regular season. Nearing his 30s and battling durability issues, NBA teams are monitoring the situation in Philadelphia this summer.
In a mailbag for The Philadelphia Inquirer focused on the 76ers’ offseason, Keith Pompey addressed Embiid’s future in Philadelphia and made it clear there are no plans to trade him.
“There’s no plan to trade Embiid at any point. So, yes, he is very much untouchable. There are some who believe the Sixers should consider trading the league MVP because of his injury history and inability to get out of the second round. But it’s not that simple. Embiid is the face of the Sixers and the main reason why they’ve won 154 games over the last three seasons. They won’t come close to getting equal value for the future Hall of Famer in a trade. Sure, they’ll get several nice pieces and multiple first-round picks. But any trade for Embiid basically would jump-start The Process Part 2. And if we learned anything from The Process, nothing is guaranteed.
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As Pompey notes, trading Embiid would create its own problems. Philadelphia never won 20 games in a season from 2013-’16, landing them top picks in the NBA Draft. With those selections, Philadelphia drafted Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz.
While the 76ers would receive significant interest from around the league if they decided to trade Embiid, it’s not the approach ownership or the front office wants to take right now. However, that stance will likely change in 2024 if Philadelphia can’t reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
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