With the Philadelphia 76ers knocked out of the postseason before reaching the Eastern Conference Finals yet again, could Joel Embiid force his way West? The Golden State Warriors are an option.
Both the 76ers and Warriors were knocked out of the postseason earlier than expected.
Philadelphia held a 3-2 lead over the now-Eastern Conference Finals bound Boston Celtics, only to lose the final two games in brutal fashion. A fourth-quarter debacle cost them in Game 6, and winning Game 7 in Boston was always farfetched. To answer for their sins, Philly fired Doc Rivers. But is that enough to satisfy the likes of league MVP Joel Embiid, who is surely tired of losing?
The Warriors, meanwhile, could very well be fading into the night. Their core of Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry are all well over 30 years old, and only Curry is a mainstay to the organization. Contracts run up. Players move on.
A Joel Embiid trade, on the surface, is hard to even imagine. Yet, that's the entire point of this piece. Let's imagine…the impossible.
What a Warriors-76ers trade for Joel Embiid might look like
Any trade for Joel Embiid would take a boatload of picks and assets. It would also require Embiid essentially forcing his way out and picking the destination as Golden State, which has been done before. So, let's play pretend and suggest that's in Embiid's future. What would it take?
Here's a guess:
How does Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, Patrick Baldwin, a 2026 first-round pick, a 2028 first-round pick, a 2030 first-round pick, and pick swaps in 2027 and 2029 sound?
Yes, that's a lot, but the Dubs would acquire Embiid, the defending MVP in his prime. It would extend their championship window by another half-decade, if not more. If Rudy Gobert costs five firsts, this is the price for Embiid. Sorry not sorry.
Warriors-76ers Joel Embiid trade grade
76ers trade grade: B- Losing a player like Joel Embiid hurts, but in this scenario he's made it very clear he has no intention of playing for the team again. With that in mind, that's a ton of assets to build a team around and potentially attract another superstar in the years to come. Should that fail, they can probably draft or trade for a star player with all those assets.
Warriors trade grade: A Golden State gets the best player in this trade, and he's signed long-term already. Assuming they can keep one of Thompson or Green along with Embiid and Curry, they should have no trouble competing for a title in a crowded Western Conference for the next five years. It'll take some role players simply signing on for a chance at a championship, yes, but that's also been done before.
This trade likelihood, however, I'd grade around a C-. We've heard nothing about Embiid forcing his way out. He seems content in Philly, with an organization which wants to win with him and pay him top dollar.
Why mess with a good thing, even if that good thing struggles to make it past the Eastern Conference Semifinals on a yearly basis? Eventually, if surrounded by the right players, Embiid ought to get there.