The New York Knicks are very interested in acquiring Joel Embiid from the Philadelphia 76ers, and according to PJ Tucker, Embiid knows the Knicks want him.
“Of course, he hears it,” Tucker said, via The New York Post. “But you never know with these situations and how it’s going to play out, what guys are thinking, what’s happening behind closed doors. You never know.”
Tucker and Embiid were teammates on the Sixers before Philadelphia traded Tucker to the Los Angeles Clippers in the James Harden deal. Tucker texted Embiid after the trade went through.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Joel Embiid, PJ Tucker, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
“I wasn’t expecting to get traded, so I didn’t know. It kind of came out of nowhere,” Tucker said. “And from what I know, he didn’t know either. But you never know with this stuff, man. It’s the NBA. You never know.”
The Knicks are willing to offer the Sixers a package that includes Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Evan Fournier and Mitchell Robinson for Embiid, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. New York would also send Philadelphia future draft picks.
The Knicks have made acquiring Embiid their No. 1 priority, according to Pompey. New York president Leon Rose used to be Embiid’s agent at CAA.
Embiid has experienced a fair share of upheaval with the Sixers and rival teams are keeping a close eye on how much more he’s willing to endure, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. Jimmy Butler left the Sixers in the summer of 2019 for the Miami Heat and Ben Simmons held out in 2021-22 and was traded to the Brooklyn Nets for Harden, who got traded to the Clippers on Halloween.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Joel Embiid, PJ Tucker, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
Embiid is not expected to request a trade from the Sixers this season, sources told NBA Analysis Network, but he could ask for a trade next offseason depending on how Philadelphia does in the 2024 playoffs.
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