Over the last few years, the 76ers have not had the best luck in the point guard department. No No Don’t worry! We are not talking about Tyrese Maxey. But before Maxey’s breakout season that solved all their concerns, the Sixers went through two major fiascos involving Ben Simmons, followed by James Harden. And Philly fans would be shocked to know that the Sixers could have avoided most of it had they chosen Tyrese Haliburton instead of The Beard. As it turns out, Joel Embiid even risked violating the league’s tampering rules just to lure Haliburton to join the Sixers.

While Daryl Morey was desperately trying to get rid of Ben Simmons, who refused to get on the court following the Hawks playoffs debacle, there were rumors about Haliburton being one of his trade options. Still playing for the Kings at the time, Tyrese was yet to become the superstar that we know of today. Around the same time, a young Tyrese was also seeking skills coaching from Drew Hanlen, and met with him over dinner in Philly the night before a regular season game against the Sixers on January 29, 2022.

Upon their meeting, Hanlen challenged Haliburton to attempt at least 14 shots in the game. And the sophomore exceeded expectations. “I had my career high that night against Philly. I had like 38.” Hali revealed during The Check Ball Show. When asked if Embiid was upset after his scoring outburst, Tyrese made a shocking revelation, “No, Jo wasn’t. That was at the time when there were rumors about me going to Philly… After the game, I remember him coming and was like ‘If you want to come and win, tell your agent to get you traded.’” Yes, the former MVP was so impressed by Tyrese’s performance that he even risked tampering by blatantly asking him to demand a trade from Sacramento. “There’s no way I’m getting traded.” Haliburton responded.

Not Joel Embiid’s first rodeo

Unfortunately, Joel’s controversial tactics to bring Tyrese to Philly did not work as the point guard got traded to the Indiana Pacers just a few days after that game. And a few months later, the Sixers managed to pull off a blockbuster trade acquiring James Harden from Brooklyn in exchange for Ben Simmons. Although better than the Simmons situation, Harden also left Philly a year later on a bitter note due to differences with Daryl Morey. While Embiid’s alleged tampering tactics didn’t work on Haliburton, it finally paid dividends this summer as it helped the Sixers add superstar Paul George.

Although not as direct as the last time, Joel risked tampering once again during the NBA Finals broadcast in June. Making an appearance on the live show with PG, Embiid revealed his hopes for the upcoming season, “Hopefully this off-season, we find a way to get better and you know add some pieces.” While there was nothing wrong in what he said, he gave a sneaky side-eye to PG during the comment, hinting that he was talking about the nine-time All-Star. Surprisingly, just a few weeks later, PG left LA and inked a four-year $212 million deal with the Sixers to join forces with Embiid and Maxey. What are your thoughts on Joel Embiid’s controversial strategy?

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.