The James Harden trade drama is ongoing in Philly, and as a result, all eyes are on what the future will hold for Joel Embiid. While the reigning NBA MVP has stressed that he loves Philadelphia and apparently made clear he is fine seeing out whatever the Sixers’ plan is as it tries to figure out life after Harden, he’s made abundantly clear that he wants to win a championship, and there are teams on the lookout in the event that he hits the open market.
Perhaps no team has been more closely linked to an Embiid deal than the New York Knicks, which have tried to position themselves to pounce when the right superstar is available. And in a new piece by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, we learned what the Knicks would want to put together if Embiid — whose ex-agent, Leon Rose, runs the Knicks — was indeed available.
The Knicks are willing to offer a package that includes three key players, with Julius Randle, R.J. Barrett, Evan Fournier and Mitchell Robinson all available in exchange for Embiid, according to sources. A trio from that group would be paired with two or three first-round picks.
If there is an open market for Embiid and other teams get to send the Sixers offers to acquire him, it wouldn’t be a shock if that’s not enough for a player of his caliber. That, of course, assumes we even get to a point where Embiid — who is under contract through 2026-27 (with that final year being a player option) — is even available.
