Joel Embiid?s Entanglement With 76ers and Knicks Disclosed by NBA Insider

The Sixers, who were having a tough time handling James Harden because of his trade demands, had finally pulled through on his request and traded him to the Clippers. That’s one burden laid to rest. However, this now begs the question of what the Sixers’ center and reigning MVP Joel Embiid feels about this and whether he would want a trade out too.?To be fair, this is a good question to ask because it is an open secret that the Knicks have been eyeing Joel Embiid as a possible trade, ever since the turmoil and uncertainty that came with Harden leaving the Sixers.

However, we also need to take into account that since his draft into the Sixers back in 2014, Embiid has remained loyal to the team. So, what makes it different this time? Well, Embiid might be having second thoughts if the Sixers are unable to secure another top player in exchange for James Harden. Given that the Sixers’ chances of winning a title are dwindling, he could think about making a discreet trade request. This is exactly what HoopsHype Podcast‘s host Michael Scotto and The Philadelphia Inquirer?s Keith Pompey talk about in the podcast’s recent episode.

Joel Embiid is a quiet observer in this mess

Embiid has been on the Knicks’ radar for quite a while now, as disclosed by The Insider. The Sixers, on their own part, are not willing to part with him anytime in the near future. Embiid’s future with the Sixers is on very thin ice right now. Scotto, and the fans are equally unsure about whether Embiid is satisfied with the current Sixers team in the absence of Harden. Most importantly, we begin to wonder whether his confidence in the Sixers to be able to reinforce the roster before the trade deadline is faltering.

“It?s the worst kept secret that the Knicks have been monitoring Joel Embiid for the longest time, as are other teams. But the Sixers don?t want to move Embiid now. And unless he asks out, I don?t see it anytime soon,” Scotto says.

Joel Embiid might say that he is happy in the Sixers squad and that he would want to retire as a Sixer. But according to Keith, that’s what Embiid is supposed to say. In reality, Embiid is quietly observing whatever has gone down within the past week. He is definitely banking on the Sixers to make a move, considering that they now have ample draft capital to spare on account of former MVP Harden walking out. If this does not happen, he might very well come out and ask for a trade to the Knicks.

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At this point, it looks like the Sixers and the Knicks are engaged in a tug of war, with Joel standing in the middle as the prize. The Sixers need to move fast and close in on an A-lister before Embiid? asks for a trade himself. However, there is more to this; in the event that the Sixers fail to make a move, or if players like Tyrese Maxey fail to step up to the occasion, or the other players do not perform well, there is a high possibility that Embiid will leave for good. Given that there are already quite a number of teams setting their eyes on him, it won’t be hard for him to find a good landing spot somewhere else.

At some point, you can’t fault a player for wanting to leave

Keith says that when we talk about continuity, the Sixers haven?t had that, and this might be a disadvantage for them at this time.? He continues, “It comes a point in time where, you know, if you?re serious about winning the Championship, and getting the ring, I mean, that’s one of the things where, as a competitor in you, like,? you can?t fault a person for wanting to leave after a while. But at this particular time, I?ll say that you know, Joel is monitoring the situation, seeing how everything goes.”

Despite this, the Sixers seem to be optimistic because they have been doing well in the season so far. In particular, Maxey has been putting on a show for the fans and this might give some hope to Embiid as well as the team. Maxey had a hand injury during the victorious game(126-98) against the Blazers on Sunday giving the fans a scare, but it looks like he is up and ready to join the team on the court against the Raptors.

Keith ends it by saying that if the Sixers’ President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey doesn’t do anything with this, “and they suffer another second-round loss, and you know, this free-flowing thing isn’t working out, yeah, I could see Joel asking for a trade. Now again, I’m not talking about, in the middle of the season. I’m talking about you know, heading into next year.”

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Do you think Joel Embiid will stay in the Sixers or demand a trade, according to how things have played out so far? Let us know.