Latest NBA Trade Rumors on Joel Embiid, Draymond Green and More
The NBA trade rumor is roaring to life.
Which makes perfect sense considering where we're at on the basketball calendar.
While a handful of the hoops world's haves remain in contention for this season's title, a huge collection of have-nots have already fully shifted into offseason mode. Draft evaluations are getting done, free agency paths are being plotted and trade possibilities are being explored from every angle.
And since those trade discussions have reverberated enough to have juicy rumors attached to them, let's dissect the latest talks.
Philly Not Pushing for Joel Embiid Trade?
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Following their semifinal sweep at the hands of the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers split from former lead executive Daryl Morey. While it's fair to wonder whether that was simply the first of several dominoes to drop, one potentially huge change of direction reportedly isn't happening.
That would be the unloading of former MVP Joel Embiid, who is finding it increasingly difficult to stay on the court and set to start a three-year, $187.9 million extension next season. That killer combination of such glaring availability issues and such a sizable salary has no doubt torpedoed his trade value around the league.
So, no matter how intriguing the idea of a roster reset around ascending guards Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe might sound, The Stein Line's Jake Fischer reported, "I've been advised to expect no definitive effort this offseason to try to offload Embiid."
Fischer added that "rival team strategists" have pitched the idea of swapping Embiid for Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis, but he characterized taht possibility as a "longshot" and then added that "even longshot might be underselling it."
Draymond Green Still Part of Dubs' Plans?
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With Stephen Curry remaing at such a high level, and Steve Kerr sticking around to steer the ship, the Golden State Warriors are still very much in win-now mode. It's just that upping their win-now odds might require them to look outside of the organization for a huge addition.
They've been linked to the biggest names on the market, but getting a big fish would requireโamong other thingsโunloading a big salary. And that's where things could get tricky.
Draymond Green seems like a reasonable candidate with only a $27.6 million player option left on his pact, but ESPN's Anthony Slater reported the Warriors have shown "no intention to shop Green or push him out." ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel added that during contract negotiations, "Kerr made it known...that he wanted both Curry and Green to be a part of the team's immediate plans."
Plans can always change, obviously, but if Golden State isn't considering a Green trade, does that mean Jimmy Butler is on his way out? Because matching a big-dollar deal is essentially impossible without including one of Green or Butler.
76ers Had Deep Target List at Deadline?
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You know those depth issues the Sixers encountered this postseason? Well, they at least tried to address them ahead of this season's deadline.
According toย Adam Aaronsonย of theย Philly Voice, the Sixers shopped around for "cost-effective role players with multiple years of control." They pursued several players who that description with Oklahoma City Thunder swingman Aaron Wiggins being "their primary target."
Their long list of targets also reportedly included, among others, Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski, Chicago Bulls big man Jalen Smith, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo, Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason and Dallas Mavericks swingman Naji Marshall. They did not, however, consider Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, who was traded to the Timberwolves, a "prioritized target" due to the fact he's set to enter unrestricted free agency this summer.
In the end, of course, Philly came up empty in all of these pursuits. And then, it predictably struggled with a lack of reliable reserves in the postseason. At least it saw the problem coming?
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