Joel Embiid Trade Rumors: 76ers Think Star Wants Full Career with 1 Team Like Kobe

Joel Embiid reportedly wants to be like Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki, at least in one way.

According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Philadelphia 76ers' "belief remains that Embiid would love to go the way of Dirk Nowitzki or Kobe Bryant and stay with one team for his entire career."

Bryant played all 20 of his NBA seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers and is remembered as a beloved franchise icon. Nowitzki played all 21 of his NBA seasons for the Dallas Mavericks and also remains a beloved figure for the team's fans to this day.

Embiid has been with the 76ers since they selected him with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2014 NBA draft. He has dealt with injuries, losing seasons, coaching changes and organizational uncertainty but remains the one crowning success of the Process era.

He is the reigning league MVP and a fan favorite, although his future was under the spotlight Monday when he raised the possibility of leaving when speaking with Maverick Carter at the Uninterrupted Film Festival.

"I just want to win a championship, whatever it takes. I don't know where that's going to be, whether it's in Philly or anywhere else," Embiid said. "I just want to have a chance to accomplish that, I want to see what that feels like to win that first one, and then you can think about the next one. It's not easy, it takes more than one two or three guys. Got to have good people around you, and myself, every single day I work hard to be at that level so I can push us to make it happen. Every single day that's working toward that goal, that's where my mindset has always been. MVP is just an added bonus."

While the quote raised some eyebrows, especially since the 76ers have never made it past the second round of the playoffs during his career, he also suggested he might not have been 100 percent serious:

Whatever the case may be, there is at least a belief within the organization that he wants to end his career as a Philadelphia legend who never left the team that drafted him.