Joel Embiid Trade Rumors: Knicks Eyeing NBA MVP After 76ers' Playoff Loss to Celtics
The New York Knicks reportedly have interest in trading for Philadelphia 76ers center and reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid should the Sixers make him available.
According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, sources have said since midseason that Embiid is a "guy to watch" for the Knicks, and the 76ers' second-round playoff loss "only intensified that belief."
While there is no indication that the Sixers plan to trade Embiid, their playoff struggles continued this season, as they fell to the Boston Celtics in seven games in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The 76ers fired head coach Doc Rivers in the wake of the loss to Boston, and there could be more major changes on the way, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Friday that NBA executives expect star guard James Harden to opt out of his contract with the Sixers this offseason and return to the Houston Rockets in free agency.
If that happens, it will leave the Sixers with a core of Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris, and no easy way to add to a roster that has been unable to get past the second round of the playoffs despite qualifying for the postseason in six consecutive years.
That could cause Philly to consider a rebuild, although trading a player of Embiid's caliber would likely be a last resort.
The 29-year-old is coming off the best season of his career, as the six-time All-Star led the NBA in scoring for a second consecutive year with 33.1 points per game. He also averaged 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.0 steal en route to his first MVP Award.
Embiid missed two playoff games due to injury, however, and he was not as effective as he was during the regular season, averaging 23.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 2.7 assists, and shooting just 43.1 percent from the field.
He had an especially disappointing performance in the Sixers' 112-88 Game 7 loss to Boston, as he went just 5-of-18 from the field for 15 points.
The Knicks are seemingly a team on the rise after reaching the playoffs this season with a 47-35 record and making it to the second round before falling to the Miami Heat.
Signing guard Jalen Brunson helped take the Knicks to the next level, while Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes had productive years as well.
The Knicks arguably need another superstar in order to become true championship contenders, and Embiid would fit the bill.
Embiid is signed for at least the next three seasons with a player option for 2026-27, so the 76ers aren't likely to have any sense of urgency to move him.
The Knicks could offer a compelling package of draft picks and young players, but trading Embiid would mean stepping away from title contention, and the Sixers may not be ready to do that.
