The Philadelphia 76ers seem ready to continue from the former MVP center Joel Embiid, but will an NBA team move out of season this season to acquire the injury-sensitive superstar? Fans probably think that the short answer is “no!” And the long answer is “NOOOOOO !!!”
Jokes aside, however, there is at least one team every summer that is desperate enough to gamble on a player like Embiid, who exclude the 76ers for the rest of the 2024-25 season while he and the team continue to look for a long-term solution for a persistent left-old injury.
76ers ruled Joel Embiid for the season
Embiid, who turns 31 on March 16, received different knee injections throughout the season, in attempts to sufficiently reduce swelling and the discomfort to make it play and be available for the sixers. Instead of improving as he played more, the pain and swelling only increased.
Although he never played back-to-backs, Embiid has never been healthy for a long period of time this campaign. That eventually led to the Sixers excluding him for the season. He played in just 19 games, which means that he missed 39 of the 58 games of Philadelphia at the time of that report.
– Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 28, 2025
What is even more important, Embiid played in just 39 games last season after tearing the meniscus in his knee. His left knee has been a problem since January 2024, when he sustained a lateral meniscus injury. So his knee problems are nothing new.
The former first rounder was operated on at the beginning of February, returned at the beginning of April, was part of the Play-Off Run of Philadelphia and then won a gold medal with the American Olympic team in the summer.
Joel Embiid cannot be traded until March 20, 2025
In September, Joel Embiid signed a three-year contract extension of $ 192.9 million that guarantees the five-time All-NBA member a total of $ 299.5 million until the 2028-29 season.
According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, Embiid also refused his player option of $ 59 million for the 2026-27 season prior to the inks of the new contract extension. He earns $ 69 million in the last year of the New Deal.
Per Spotrac, the current deal of Embiid is the four -year -old, $ 213.28 million Max contract extension that he signed with the Sixers in August 2021. It cannot be traded until March 20, 2025.
Knicks almost traded for Embiid
After last month’s trade deadline, NBA Insider Jake Fischer revealed that there was once a scenario where the Sixers could have protected a huge appetite of the New York Knicks if they made Embiid available for a profession.
“Once Upon a Time probably had Philly every concept choice that New York had possessed before it was pronounced on transactions for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns,” Fischer wrote. “The Knicks were always the rival threat, said sources, of which Sixers officers knew they were waiting to be if Embiid ever reached the trade market.”
But that was before the 76 people revealed the news that Embiid’s left knee did not respond well to the treatment protocols he received this season.
A number of potential traders would have tried to withdraw an Embiid -trade in hearing that report anyway, especially if he would fail physical.
Being able to exchange nets for Embiid?
In addition, Fadeaway World-writer Eddie Bitar suggests an exchange that would bring Embiid to the Brooklyn Nets for Nic Raxton, Cameron Johnson, a pick of the first round of 2025 (Okc of Hou of PHX), a 2027 first round pick (Nyk) and a 2030-round Pick).
“The Brooklyn nets are looking for their next superstar since Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving left, and acting for Joel Embiid could be the movement that brings them back in the spotlight. Despite their struggles, Brooklyn has an intriguing mix of assets and young talent, and linking Embiid with Cam Thomas (24.7 ppg) would create one of the best inside-out duos in the competition, “Bitar writes.
“For Brooklyn this is a risky but high movement. They should be sure that Embiid can stay on the ground and that they can build a title -worthy cast around him. If it works, the nets can return to the top of the East. If that is not the case, they can be stuck in another difficult rebuilding. ‘
76ers made the same mistake with Paul George
Simply put, it would have been a bad trade for the Knicks, and the fake trade of Bitar seems too incredible. Everyone knows what happened to Paul George after signing his four-year contract of $ 212 million with Philadelphia: he suffered Pinky Finger, Lies and Knie injuries and Wild Podcast P instead of an NBA star.
Thursday’s absence against the Boston Celtics was George’s second in three games. This year he appeared in just 41 of 62 games for the Sixers. There are rumors that Philadelphia will close the veteran for the rest of the 2024-25 season.
“We want them to play if they can play, right?” 76ers head coach Nick Nurse told reporters in Boston. “For me, the medical people tell me if they are good. … I think he was unable to continue at the end of the third last. So things like that happens, and I just take my instructions from them. “
The Sixers generously crushed it when they gave Joel Embiid a ridiculous deal. That is on the organization. Embiid currently does not seem -transferable in the low season because the NBA team is just as wrong as the Dallas Mavericks.
