Not Knowing About Joel Embiid is Reason to Deal or Keep

The unknowns about Joel Embiid are reasons to keep him for the Philadelphia 76ers, but also reasons to deal him.

The Philadelphia 76ers have a huge season in front of them. They’ve obtained the top overall pick, and they are also expected to bring over Croatian star Dario Saric after he has spent the last few seasons in Turkey. Joel Embiid, the Sixers third overall pick from 2014, is also expected to finally play after sitting out his first two NBA seasons.

While fans all over believe that Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel will be dealt eventually — and let’s face it, they’re probably right — some are ignoring the slight possibility that Joel Embiid could also be moved. Is it a likely scenario? Not by any means. Due to the fact that Joel Embiid has the lowest trade value and highest possible ceiling of all three Sixers big men, the team would be foolish to move him. That being said, there is a chance that teams would be open to hearing about Embiid in a trade.

The Sixers have been adamant that Embiid’s recovery has gone well this time around, and there’s reason to believe that that is true. After all, Embiid does seem to be much more cheerful on Twitter lately, and videos have been published time and time again of him making positive steps in his recovery.

More from The Sixer Sense

The one reason the Sixers would be open to trading Embiid is that they don’t know about what he can be on the floor. For all anyone knows, Embiid could get on the floor and bust. We’ve seen him make progress in non-game situations, but when he gets in a real game situation, things could be completely different.

So if the right deal comes along, and the Sixers can get an established player that is less unknown than Embiid, the Sixers would definitely consider.

That deal won’t come along. And not knowing is also reason to keep Embiid if that deal comes along.

If that deal were to come along — which I highly doubt — it will be a lowball, because Embiid is unproven. If the Sixers bite, they will get a low-level NBA player or a veteran that is past his prime. Embiid, being a strong player that has all the tools to succeed for years in the NBA, will succeed on any team, and will prove the Sixers wrong.

You see, not knowing about Embiid can be looked at as a very scary situation, or a situation that has a lot of promise. We don’t know what Embiid can be as a real NBA player, but we do know that he’s been working hard to transition quickly and seamlessly into real games next season.

Next: Will NBA Rumors Lead to Bidding Wars for Jahlil Okafor?

The work ethic, the time spent, and the progress we’ve witnessed in pre-game warmups is reason enough for the Sixers — as well as the fans — to put aside the unknowns about Embiid. Embiid is on his way to beast mode, and the Sixers should just sit back and enjoy the ride.