Jalen Rose recommended the Philadelphia 76ers swap Joel Embiid for Russell Westbrook. That defies logic.
In Houston, Daryl Morey built the most aggressively small rotation in basketball. Now, many expect him to carry over a similar philosophy to his new job with the Philadelphia 76ers. Naturally, eager and restless NBA pundits have been quick to toss out Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons trade hypotheticals.
The most egregious of fake trade proposals, however, belongs to ESPN’s Jalen Rose. On a recent episode of Jalen & Jacoby, Rose had much to say about Morey’s arrival in South Philly. He was even kind enough to offer advice on a potential trade — Russell Westbrook for Joel Embiid.
Take a listen.
I’m not sure a single move could destroy Morey’s reputation faster than an Embiid-Westbrook swap. Rumor has it Houston’s decision to trade for Westbrook was an ownership move — not a Morey move. And, on top of that, Westbook is in no way an upgrade over Embiid.
Just in terms of mechanics, Westbrook is slated to make $41.4 million next season. His contract runs through 2022-23, with a player option worth $47.1 million that final year. Embiid, who is almost six years younger, will make only $29.6 million next season. He, too, is under contract through 2022-23, with a final-year tally of $33.6 million.
Embiid is younger and cheaper. It would require Embiid plus salary filler to acquire Westbrook, and the result would be an even heftier tax sheet. When you factor in Embiid’s superior talent, the six-year age gap, and Westbrook’s unceremonious decline in the playoffs, the logic of this trade falls apart.
Does Westbrook still have enough juice to impact winning in the NBA? Sure, he was truly great the second half of last season. Injuries and the extended wait invariably hurt him in the Bubble. That said, at 32, Westbrook is an athleticism-dependent guard who is getting progressively worse as a shooter. He’s the last star Philadelphia should pair Ben Simmons with.
Obviously, the Embiid-Simmons fit is imperfect. But Embiid is a better (and higher-volume) 3-point shooter. He also warps defenses by commanding double teams in the post. Conversely, defenses have begun to ignore Westbrook anywhere outside the paint.
Westbrook provides even less value off-ball than Embiid does, and if anyone needs a “poor fit” tiebreaker, Embiid anchors the Sixers’ defense. Westbrook can bottle up a point guard every now and then, but slotting him in Embiid’s place would decimate Philadelphia’s defense.
Embiid still has tons of room to grow. Westbrook is on the precipice of a steep decline. I’m not sure if Embiid and Simmons will work long-term — it’s up to Daryl Morey to decide — but I can guarantee jamming Westbrook’s idiosyncratic ball-dominance next to Simmons’ transition-powered ball-sharing wouldn’t work. Using one virtually negates the other.