According to NBA Rumors, the James Harden saga may cost the Sixers Joel Embiid. Is Daryl Morey's endgame to rebuild or will he try to keep Embiid?
According to Vincent Goodwill, many around the NBA see the James Harden saga as something that could end up costing the Sixers' Joel Embiid. All in all, this may be the route that GM Daryl Morey wants to go.
The Sixers have been looking to trade James Harden since free agency started due to the fact that the former MVP only opted into his deal with the expectation that he would be traded. It is expected that Harden will skip training camp in order to create more pressure to get a trade done.
NBA Rumors: Will James Harden drama cost 76ers Joel Embiid?
As mentioned in the same report, the Sixers are looking to gain more first-round picks than presently offered in any deal with the Clippers. This is hard to do due to the fact that the Clippers owe all of their first-round picks to the Thunder until 2027.
One could assume that the Clippers may be offering one or two of their first-round picks from 2027 on. Still, any offer will not match the pick return in any past deal that has involved All-NBA talent. A complete rebuild for the Sixers has become so apparent that the New York Knicks and Miami Heat are "circling" on the Joel Embiid situation.
If the Sixers are able to sniff out first-round picks from the Clippers in any James Harden deal, they may be able to have one last shot at keeping the reigning MVP. Philadelphia could bundle together all of the first-round picks that they have in order to get an All-NBA talent to pair with Embiid.
In the NBA, players with all-star talent seem to be available for trade every six months. With that in mind, the Sixers can make one last-ditch effort before they have to undergo a Joel Embiid trade request.
Supposedly, other teams are looking at Embiid's happiness with Sixers' management as well. The Miami Heat may be out of the running for Embiid once he becomes available. The Heat are currently eyeing trading for Damian Lillard.
Although trade negotiations are at a standstill, it seems like the Heat will most likely end up with Lillard. The New York Knicks are the team that is more likely to trade for Joel Embiid, if he becomes available. The Knicks are able to trade all of their first-round picks and have a couple of first-round picks from other teams that have varying levels of protection on them.