Plugged-in reporter Marc Stein mentioned the Miami Heat and New York Knicks as two teams “monitoring the situation” in Philadelphia and they would want to be at the “front of the line” if Joel Embiid did formally request a trade. Stein also noted that Knicks president Leon Rose and his top aide William Wesley attended Embiid’s wedding at a beachside ceremony in The Hamptons last month.
Stein wrote: “While true that Rose and Wesley used to represent Embiid as player agents, it has been suggested that their attendance was ‘not nothing.'” Again, everything gets overanalyzed and scrutinized in the offseason but smoke is smoke. This isn’t the first time Embiid’s name has been linked to the Knicks and it likely won’t be the last.
Bleacher Report proposed a blockbuster trade sending RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, and four first-round picks to Philly in exchange for Embiid. Meanwhile, The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey added that the Knicks have been “hoping and praying” that Embiid asks out. Interesting.
Remember, Embiid let it slip back in July that he wasn’t sure if Philadelphia was going to be his forever home. The 7-footer quickly walked the comment back as a troll job but the quote lives on. Embiid said (via Evan Sidery): “I just want to win a championship. Whatever it takes. I don’t know where that’s gonna be. Whether it’s in Philly or anywhere else. I just want to have a chance.”
The biggest hiccup here would be location, location, location. The Sixers would probably want to steer clear of sending Embiid to one of their most hated rivals. Both teams play in the Eastern Conference and, more specifically, the Atlantic Division. That means they would see Embiid four times every year, not including any potential playoff matchups. Not ideal.