The New York Knicks have made acquiring Joel Embiid from the Philadelphia 76ers their No. 1 priority, according to NBA insider Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Knicks president Leon Rose used to be Embiid’s agent at CAA. Some NBA execs think Embiid could request a trade from the Sixers sooner rather than later since James Harden has asked for a trade and other teams in the Eastern Conference have gotten better.
The Milwaukee Bucks acquired Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers and the Boston Celtics acquired Jrue Holiday from the Blazers. Meanwhile, the Sixers added Kelly Oubre Jr., Danny Green, Patrick Beverley and Mo Bamba in the offseason.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Joel Embiid, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
The Knicks are willing to offer the Sixers a package that includes Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Evan Fournier and Mitchell Robinson. New York would also send Philadelphia future draft picks.
Embiid, who won the NBA MVP Award last season, averaged 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds for the Sixers. Philadelphia swept the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2023 playoffs but lost to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in seven games. The Sixers haven’t gotten past the second round of the postseason in the Embiid era, which began in 2014-15.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Joel Embiid, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
The Knicks, who lost to the Miami Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals in six games, have several draft picks the Sixers would likely ask for if Embiid requested a trade to New York.
Many NBA pundits are surprised Rose hasn’t made a blockbuster trade yet given all of his connections through CAA. It will be intriguing to see if Rose and the Knicks make a franchise-altering trade for Embiid down the line.
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