Joel Embiid’s recent activity on social media has caused quite a stir as fans begin questioning his long-term commitment to the Philadelphia 76ers. With James Harden on his way out, could Joel Embiid be next?
On a totally unrelated matter, the Miami Heat have been dealing with their own drama this summer as well as they continue to try and lure Damian Lillard to South Beach. That’s looking like a dead end right now, though, so what if they all of a sudden make a sensational move for Joel Embiid? That would be crazy, I know.
Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler Reunite in South Beach
Lee Tran of Fadeaway World has come up with more than a few wild trade proposals in the past, and this one has to be somewhere up there. Then again, any deal involving the reigning MVP would have to involve a blockbuster trade that will shift the landscape of the league. Here’s how Tran sees this going down:
Miami Heat Receive: Joel Embiid, Furkan Korkmaz,
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, 2027 First-Round Pick (MIA), 2029 First-Round Pick (MIA)
Before Jimmy Butler made his way to Miami, he spent half a season with the Sixers. Things did not work out for him off the court, which led to Philly opting to let him walk as a free agent. At the same time, however, there’s no denying that he formed quite a partnership with Embiid.
“Joel Embiid is clearly a top-tier superstar, but the Philadelphia 76ers have done a relatively poor job of building around him thus far. The best team that they had from a talent standpoint was the 2018-19 squad, which coincidentally featured Jimmy Butler. This trade would allow the Miami Heat to re-unite the duo, which is clearly good enough to win a championship since both players are widely considered to be among the top 10 in the league,” Tran wrote.
The Heat lose A LOT in this deal, including All-Star big man Bam Adebayo. However, it’s hard to argue against the notion that Miami is going to be a heavy favorite in the East this coming season with the Embiid and Butler superstar duo leading the charge.
Sixers Start ‘The Process’ All Over Again
We can safely assume that James Harden won’t be playing another game in a Sixers jersey. So if Embiid leaves, it’s going to be Tyrese Maxey who’s likely going to be the player Philly will build around in the coming years.
In this proposed deal, the 76ers also get Bam Adebayo who’s going to form a solid pairing with Maxey. At 26, Adebayo is still young enough to build around for the foreseeable future, and the fact that he has a ton of playoff experience under his belt means that this is going to be a soft (and much quicker) rebuild for the Sixers.
Philadelphia also gets a couple of high-upside players in Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez Jr. while also adding a couple of future first-round draft picks into their war chest. The Sixers should remain relevant with Adebayo and Maxey (and Tobias Harris?) leading the way, but they also acquire a handful of future assets in this blockbuster deal.
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