Yes, this might sound like the most unreasonable trade rumor in the league’s history. But we have to give it a try, considering the latest Luka Doncic trade, no one’s safe in the league. Don’t be surprised if the Oklahoma City Thunder traded away Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Joel Embiid! Nah, I was just kidding. Anyway, we are about to deal with something similar to the outrageous trade proposal I placed in front of you.

Following the All-Star break, when the teams were busy calculating their ways to reach playoffs, the new trade speculation germinated. To be precise, it came right after Embiid’s devastating update. The Cameroonian big man has had a troubled season, starting with a delayed debut recovering from knee surgery and several missed games with multiple injuries. Now, Shams Charania’s latest update revealed that he will undergo a season-ending knee surgery.

Moreover, as per the report, the 30-year-old will not only miss the remainder of the season but he is also likely to miss the part of the next season. Considering Joel Embiid‘s three-year extension of $194 million in October 2024, he has already missed half of it. At this point, the Sixers‘ attempt to waive Embiid’s contract might have been a believable rumor. Instead, a TWSN article written by Alex Walsh stated that the Thunder would trade the Process in the 2025 summer.

Looking at the updates available from the renowned NBA Insider, this trade speculation is false. Above all, Walsh didn’t speculate on the trade just like that. The report went into detail regarding the Sixers’ history of poor front-office choices and argued the team would salvage it by sending him out.

While Daryl Morey, the Sixers president, addressed that he wanted to reduce the team’s average age, cutting down on Joel Embiid will indeed be a great start. But will the Thunder accept the deal? Let’s look at the financial and other aspects that will restrict the OKC side from pulling this off.

Why won’t the Thunder rope in Joel Embiid?

First and foremost, Joel Embiid has become one of the most unreliable talents in the league. Of course, he has an MVP award against his name, but the injury-riddles career has definitely put him on the spot. Post his knee surgery, he publicly said that he won’t play a back-to-back game anymore in his career. That’s a statement that will run you out of business. Moreover, the star hasn’t proved himself in the postseason yet.

Anyway, moving on to the financial aspect. The OKC Thunder may have to sacrifice a lot to rope in the superstar big man. It’s fairly a young team, thriving on brotherhood. While it’s hard to break them, it’s NBA anyway. Anything can happen. So, let’s look at the damage Embiid’s trade can cause.

Heading into the summer, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is eligible for a four-year extension worth $294 million, fetching him $73 million a year. On the other hand, the team had recently signed the reserve big man Isaiah Hartenstein for a $30 million per year deal. It ultimately will leave the franchise to pay $100 million for just two players. Moreover, with the likes of Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Lu Dort, the salary purse will continue to get bigger.

If the team badly wants to add Embiid, then they might have to sacrifice their core players. It’s undoubtedly a bad move. So, what do you think? Let us know in the comments below.