The Houston Rockets are heading into an offseason that could bring a lot of change. Mike D’Antoni made the decision to leave town, which will make the Rockets find a new head coach and Daryl Morey stepped down as the team’s GM. Now, it appears that the Rockets could be looking at making a run to acquire Philadelphia 76ers’ star center Joel Embiid.
According to a report from Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Heavy, the Rockets are interested in making a trade for Embiid. Everyone but James Harden appears to be available in a potential Embiid trade.
Embiid and Harden would be a lethal duo. Harden is one of the league’s top scorers and has proven his ability to make plays for teammates. Embiid is a top-notch scorer and can rebound the ball at a high level as well.
In order to get a deal done with the 76ers, there is a very good chance the Rockets would have to part ways with Russell Westbrook. That would be tough to do, but Embiid would be a much better running partner for Harden than Westbrook.
During the 2019-20 NBA season with the 76ers, Embiid ended up averaging 23.0 points per game to go along with 11.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.3 blocks. He shot 47.7 percent from the floor and knocked down 33.1 percent of his three-point attempts.
At just 26 years old, Embiid is still under contract through the 2022-23 season. That gives the Rockets a few years to win a title with Harden and Embiid leading the way.
Obviously, this may never end up happening. There is no guarantee that the 76ers will even listen to offers for Embiid. However, if they do, the Rockets appear to be one of the teams that will be aggressive in trade talks.
Expect to hear plenty of rumors surrounding both the Rockets and 76ers this offseason. Joel Embiid may not end up being moved, but he is a name to keep an eye on.
