Sixers center Joel Embiid admitted being disappointed in James Harden‘s trade request during an interview Sunday with Rachel Nichols of Showtime (Twitter link). Embiid also said he understands that it’s the “business” side of the league and expressed hope that Harden’s “mindset can be changed.”
It was Embiid’s first public comment on the situation since Harden expressed a desire to be traded after deciding to pick up his $35.6MM option for next season. The Clippers are reportedly his preferred destination, although there has been little indication of any progress in trade talks.
Embiid also said he and Harden will remain friends no matter what happens with the trade request, but he would like to have him stay in Philadelphia and see what they can accomplish under new head coach Nick Nurse.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Sixers don’t have the assets for a Damian Lillard trade, even if president of basketball operations Daryl Morey decides to include Tyrese Maxey in his offer, argues David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Murphy points out that recent trades involving the NBA’s top stars have involved parcels of draft assets, which Morey doesn’t have available. The Sixers are limited to offering one future first-round pick, plus four pick swaps, which is unlikely to interest a team like the Trail Blazers, who will be hoping to build around young talent if they move Lillard.
- The decision to match Utah’s offer sheet for Paul Reed leaves the Sixers $6.6MM over the tax threshold with 13 players holding guaranteed contracts, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.
- The Celtics were among the teams that attended John Wall‘s private workout Sunday in Las Vegas, tweets Kelly Iko of The Athletic. However, Brian Robb of MassLive doesn’t see Wall as a good fit in light of the team’s recent moves. Boston signed free agent point guard Dalano Banton this summer and already has Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon and Payton Pritchard on the roster. The Celtics are already facing a significant tax bill, Robb adds, and any free agent addition would bring millions more in tax penalties. Iko identifies the Trail Blazers as another team that sent representatives to watch Wall.
- Knicks officials were at a private workout for free agents Alize Johnson and Ben McLemore, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Johnson played four games for the Spurs last season before being waived in December, while McLemore most recently played in China.
Embiid might as well follow Hardens lead…
He’s not got another decade in the league, and his prime window is closing…
No the Sixers drafted him, I sawy stick with him until the end… win, lose, or draw
If I were a Sixers fan, after seeing the way Embiid constantly has mental collapses in the playoffs, I’d be okay with trading him as long as they get a big return. His body language whenever his teams are losing in the playoffs is so defeatist, and he doesn’t perform well either. Injuries only account for some of how bad he is in the postseason relative to the regular season.
Stars never get a return in kind.
Better that they get a Paul George, Donovan Mitchell, or Anthony Davis-like return than what the Blazers are currently facing with Lillard, or the T-wolves got for Garnett for example. Embiid is younger than most of those guys, but he’s more injury-prone too. If Embiid faces another season of going nowhere or they actively get worse by trading Harden for garbage like they’re currently facing, I could see him asking out.
Based on your own personal feelings, not embiid’s. He is a different animal. He wants to win in Philly. He is just like Dame and Garnett, he won’t ask out early. If you think otherwise, you haven’t paid close attention to Joel’s journey. Anyone that speculates on him asking out is doing so based on their own personal feelings, espn talking head or keyboard GM, not on anything else
And that is based on your own personal feelings. I’ve seen his journey, and it’s impressive. But he’s been a different person over the last few years than he was as a younger man. People change. I’m not saying that he *will for certain*, but the mental weakness he’s shown in the playoffs and the constant whining about expectations and deserving the MVP make me think of him as more of a Harden than a Lillard. Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m not basing it on nothing. I could see him being traded if Philly continues to fail him, either because he asks for it, or because they want to get ahead of a perceived trade demand.
Completely agree…
Embiid goes from having Dillon Brooks levels of confidence in the regular season… To looking like KAT in the playoffs…
He either can’t handle the pressure or loses cofidence in the team too easily…
Jojo is a sixer for life, get use to that fact.
The only way players stay with one organization is with mutual success. This is really only a reality for guys like curry/Thompson/green on the warriors. Neither side wants to move on due to shared, mutual success. Embiid could easily leave Philly, they have accomplished nothing.
Don’t let your fan goggles blind you to reality
Totally disagree. Sorry jojo is a sixer for life. You must be a knick fan.
How can you easily see him asking out? Based on what? Embiid has embraced the process and the city. If you were in the area you would see there is no shot of him bailing any time soon. It’s not fan goggles.
This is a guy that has overcome significant odds to make it to where he is today. He is no stranger to adversity, he won’t shy away from the challenge. He’s not some AAU kid that is always used to having the best players on his team. If he all of a sudden becomes a primadonna and wants to leave for a super team, then I will eat crow…I just don’t see it happening in the near future
Beal and Lillard also embraced the their team cultures and the cities they played in.
Both of them stuck around basically as long as they cojlf.
The rare case of Dirk stands out… But even he won a title in the middle of the Mavs chaos…
Tim Duncan and the Warriors are the few who’ve done it in the past few decades…
Even Kobe had a trade demand…
No player is a this team for life player…
Nothing here of major importance.
I don’t know if there will be any kind of press conference, but I would like to hear the Reed contract match explantion
Also, Harden is probably stuck with the Sixers
He’s a young athletic big that plays team first, efficient basketball and provides great energy off the bench. His salary (7.3/per) is in line with other reserve centers like theiss (9), landale (8), Zach Collins (7.7), mo Wagner (7.7), birch (7), and looney (7). You also have guys like Holmes, Reid, Gafford, and wiseman making almost double that. I would say that’s a solid deal. Luxury tax issues, sure that may be a problem but they didn’t use their MLE this year, possibly for that exact reason. And I’m sure if they move harden they will get back under that first tax bracket
Embiid seems like he is always upset about something or other. “Why won’t they make me mvp?” “They’re not giving me the team I want” wah wah wah. Go win something. Glad I’m not a Sixers fan I don’t think I could take it.
And anyone pointing to Dame as an example is a total moron lol. This fiasco only proves he has long overstayed his welcome. Think Portland fans are happy with his “loyalty”? Should have moved him when they had the chance.
I think the culture of losing during the procrss broke both Embiid and Simmons mentally…
They needed proper vets to help guide them through and all they got was fringe rotation players their age… People fighting just to stay in the league…
Of course that’s your reaction. If you’re an actual player, however, you would most likely be pissed if your wingman was being problematic and wanting out of what is a decent situation. You say “go win something”. Well, unless someone overpays, the team will likely be worse without Harden. So part of winning should be wanting to keep the talent on the team.