Last spring, the Sixers took the eventual champion Raptors to the limit in a seven-game playoff series. This season, their star center Joel Embiid seems more interested in testing the limits of everyone’s patience.
Philadelphia has the league’s best home record but overall it has been a disappointment. The Sixers are just 9-19 on the road and Embiid’s effort and focus has been the subject of scrutiny.
Embiid seemingly made a vulgar comment directed toward the home fans on Sunday and heard many boos during pregame introductions on Tuesday.
Embiid denied that he criticized the home fans but then continued to stir the pot on social media. He even insinuated in an Instagram exchange with former teammate and Heat swingman Jimmy Butler that he’d rather be in Miami.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst indicated on a podcast that rival executives have started to openly wonder whether the Sixers would consider moving Embiid if the team has an abbreviated postseason run.
It’s hard to imagine that the Sixers would give up on Embiid despite his injury history and penchant for stirring controversy. His stats have dropped off this year but he’s still on the short list of the league’s best big men. At 25, Embiid is just entering his prime, as long as health issues don’t sidetrack his career.
Embiid is signed through the 2022/23 season and there figures to be plenty of interest around the league if Philadelphia’s front office grows weary of his act and looks to shake things up.
That brings us to our question of the day: If the Sixers getting knocked out early in this year’s playoffs, should they consider trading center Joel Embiid?
Please take to the comments sections to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
GSW offers Wiggins, 2020 1st, MIN 1st 2021, and something else if that’s what it takes.
What year is it in Philly?
1983. Again.
Might even take less than that if Phily really thinks Embiid isnt good anymore and openly put him on the table, or he demands a trade, decreasing value.
Said this a lot it makes some sense.
No way, every team knows what he can do at his best and this year being injured and everything he’s still putting up 23-12-3.
This league is so competitive and there is a lack of young quality bigs so I think value wise he holds value. He’s still a top 20 player in the league even on a down year
Poorly constructed roster is a good part of the problem, at least as much as the natural chemistry issues between him and Simmons. But, if they simply can’t live without their current FO and HC, then trade him the off season. 3 years left of on his deal, the entire league can bid. Not sure a player this dominant, locked up for that long, has been put on the market. Fetch just about what they want.
Doesn’t sound like anyone trusts the process anymore in Philly.
I said they should have fired brown and then tested the waters before the deadline. If it’s not a random then it doesn’t get done. Get a coach that lights a fire under these guys butts and takes the gloves off with Embiid and Simmons.
Ransom*
Embiid is awesome, even though he is a tad irritating. Simmons is limited, Harris is overrated, Horford is aging, Richardson isn’t all that.
Why would they trade Embiid?
Ya you pretty much trade everyone else before you get rid of Embid.
Of course, if Embid asks to leave…
Not only trade Embiid but break the team down and start over, this team is. Dumpster fire!
Although they beat the Clippers tonight.
Still this is a hodge podge team, especially when they were originally building from the ground up
Seems to be the FO thinks Simmons is the future. Should drop ship the rest of the starters and build around him for next year.
If Embid demands a trade he becomes a distressed player. Never going to get top dollar at that point.
Nah. Embid will get half the NBA bidding, and anytime you have a bunch of teams in the mix you get good offers.
Of course, I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if a lot of teams don’t value Embid as much as fans seem to. The NBA doesn’t care nearly as much about centers as it used to.
NBA doesn’t seem to care about centres but at the same time the best guys under the age of 26 or so are Davis, Giannis, Jokic, Embiid, Towns, Simmons, Mitchell, Booker and Doncic. If your team has Embid its got one of the leagues best players for the next decade.
Plus you’ve got one of the most dominant, unstoppable players which looking into the future it’s going to be Giannis Davis and Embiid as top 3 bigs
Embiid is an Under Armor guy and pretty tight with Steph.
Trade Simmons. Embiid and anyone else is better than Simmons and anyone else plus this roster. The Process is flawed.
That’s bound to happen when you’re on your 3rd gm throughout it.4th if ya wanna include Brett Brown,but Brand was here when he was interim,so the structure is still basically the same.That detail makes me wonder how much sway Brown has.
The Bucks, Raptors, Heat, and Celtics have no excuses to miss the 2nd round of the playoffs with the teams they will all be facing in April.
Simmons is most likely to bolt after his contract. Rich Paul likes the big markets, he’s on again off again with the Jenner, California is closer to Australia. I’d keep embiid. But first things first fire brown. Bring in a BIG name. Phil Jackson is one that comes to mind. Overpay for half a season. IF it doesn’t work then trade one this offseason.
BB got rid of their retreads. Not really big names avaiable.
Even if they did this Jackson couldn’t turn things around in 3 months so someone would be moving in the off season …
If I’m the Sixers I trade Joel for a HAUL and build the team around Ben Simmons, using some of the pieces acquired by trading Joel.
No team has enough value to trade for Embiid, what can you give for one of the best centers ever in the game? I would think 4-6 1st round picks, 2-3 young promising players & maybe some more, only way it makes sense for both teams.
Easy, Joel isn’t one of the best centres of all time… he hasn’t won anything not conference title, no rookie of the year, no DPOY
he’s not even top 10
(Bill, Wilt, Kareem, Hakeem, Robinson, Ewing, Malone, Shaq, Gasol, Mutumboo, etc)
Anyways I don’t think you’d look at picks and depth as a haul. Sixers are in win now mode they down want to wait and build.
If they trade Embiid is going to be for another star player. Jayson Tatum clears a wing spot in Boston for Brown or Hayward move Theis to Of and Embiid at C. That’s a great team, so maybe Tatum and 2 future first..
If the Blazers don’t make the playoffs again and Lillard continues to ball out, maybe they make a 3 team trade. McCollum to Philly, Embiid to Portland, Nurkic for Heild? Plus some firsts to Philly and stuff. Portland gets younger and stronger, Kings get better and Sixers get a shooter and picks.
I’m thinking they get a package more like these
That’s the main thing is it all about how they go in the playoffs. On paper it should be them and the bucks for ECF and their best player Giannis, who scores his points and the rim has to overcome Horford and Embiid.
However if you don’t make it that far or don’t put up muck of a fight I think Embiid has to go.
He’s lazy, immature, not focussed, injury prone, has fitness issues and simply doesn’t fit the rest of the team on the court.
I’d be looking to trade him for another shooter at either the 2/3 position, maybe Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum, CJ McCollum or Buddy Heild.
Preferably I’d take Booker who is young, a sharpshooter, great iso scorer and is focussed on winning. But Jayson Tatum is also really interesting, would be hard to give the Celtics Embiid cause that could bite you but Tatum is a great scorer, great at Iso, is young and can defend. Heild could get you loads of picks or depth back while still being a young shooter. McCollum is a sharpshooter, works really hard off the ball, has a great handle and is that little bit older. Imagine Lillard and Embiid…
Sixers will have options if they decide to trade him
I love Devin Booker… but how would booker and Simmons fit?
I think they would fit really well. Look at Booker this year, he’s had Ricky Rubio play alongside him and he’s putting up 27-6-4 while shooting career best marks in nearly all shooting percentages (50/36/92).
Rubio is a good passer like Simmons but he has got a better jump shot, but Simmons is a lot better at finishing inside and driving past people. Plus I think Simmons and Booker in the off season together they would gel and Simmons would improve his shooting
Can trade him to the Thunder for SGA, Adams and picks. They have lots of 1st.
What has Embiid actually done wrong? Other than this one recent thing with the fans, all he does is ball. From the outside looking in it just feels like people are just mad he’s not singlehandedly carrying the team. He’s not a Lebron or MJ but he’s still a very good player.
If anything, the rest of the team is extremely weak. Not sure what they were thinking letting Butler go and then committing to Simmons and Horford instead.
They didn’t let Butler go. He was a free agent. And wisely departed for calmer waters
There is the argument that they shouldn’t of facilitated that deal.
But then the 6ers don’t get Richardson,and Butler probably ends up a Knick.At best he goes out west,to one of the La teams.
I mean they abstained from matching the offer so that counts as letting him go
It wasn’t a situation where they could match an offer.Thats only with restricted free agents.There’s been talk that they didn’t even attempt to resign him,but he also might’ve just wanted out.All they could’ve done was tell him they wouldn’t agree to any sign and trades.That would’ve limited his market,but could’ve also kept them from getting Horford,since his cap hold would’ve tied up any cap room.
I’d change HC first, but I’m a Celtics fan so I honestly don’t give a rip.
If he wants out he will continue to act like a child and force their hand
Houston, Atlanta, Portland, Dallas & Minny would be the best fits for him… but Atlanta is the only one with something good to give back for him.
Having said that trading Embiid would be a suicide for Philly, no way they could ever recover from trading Embiid, would be a restart of the process, he is the face of the franchise.