Joel Embiid’s latest comments have the sports world playing “Guess Who?”
After the 2023 league MVP made headlines by saying he wants to win a championship, either with Philadelphia or “anywhere else,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe and Dave McMenamin talked about Embiid’s future on another team.
McMenamin’s choice for the big man’s new home is just an Amtrak train ride away.
“I mean put up the Acela Express and send him up to New York,” McMenamin said on an episode of Lowe’s The Lowe Post podcast.
“That has been the murmuring. [Lowe] said New York, we’ve all heard New York, we know the connection between Leon Rose and Joel Embiid.
“We also know, quite frankly, that Daryl Morey came into a situation that was pretty much set up before him and he’s going to continue to build that team the way he wants it to look.
“And Joel Embiid, now that he has stamped on his resume being the reigning MVP, he should put pressure on to make that pressing window exist at this moment for Philadelphia.”
The 29-year-old center has been one of the best players in the league for the past five-plus seasons, and now that he’s in his prime, time is ticking for the 76ers to put a championship contender around him.
But with Philadelphia failing to advance past the Eastern Conference semifinals in Embiid’s six postseason appearances, some believe the Knicks could become the favorite if he leaves the franchise.
Embiid has been linked to New York for months, largely because of Rose, the Knicks president — who was previously Embiid’s agent.
The Knicks have steadily built a winning culture under Rose.
This past season, the team made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals behind guard Jalen Brunson and forward Julius Randle, and adding Embiid to that mix could make New York a true contender.
With the Knicks owning 11 first-round picks between 2024-2030, they would likely have the assets to be a player for Embiid if he were to claim out of Philadelphia.
A six-time All-Star, Embiid averaged a league-best 33.1 points last season to go along with 10.2 rebounds per night.
This article first appeared on New York Postand was reproduced with permission.
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HARDEN ‘STILL CONSIDERING’ STAYING WITH CLIPPERS AFTER HIRING OF 76ERS PRESIDENT
Meanwhile, all signs still point to 76ers teammate James Harden wanting to be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, and general manager Daryl Morey is “trying to honor” his request.
However, Philadelphia won’t trade Harden unless the team gets enough value in return, with Morey reiterating that point in an interview with 97.5 The Fanatic on Wednesday.
“If we don’t get either a very good player or something we can turn into a very good player, then we’re just not going to do it,” Morey said.
“If James changed his mind, we’d all be thrilled. You’ve heard [Joel Embiid’s] comments about it. But at this moment he prefers to be traded and we try to honor that.”
Morey also said the team knows it needs to “make sure” Embiid has a “top runner” after the 76ers superstar declared he wants to win a title, even if it’s not in Philadelphia.
It doesn’t look like that running mate will be Harden a report from Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer claims he “still intends” to play for the Clippers next season “regardless of the Sixers’ wishes.”
“Since the beginning of this subplot, Harden and his representation have chosen to designate Los Angeles as his next destination and have maintained a confidence that he will ultimately join the Clippers,” Fischer wrote.
“There has been no significant trade talk for Philadelphia about Harden and any other team, sources said, as rival front offices have been briefed on Harden’s unwavering focus on the Clippers and the Clippers alone. The 76ers have held talks with other teams and have established their high asking price for the league’s assists leader.”
Harden previously forced his way out of Houston after what then-coach Stephen Silas described as a “holdout” that eventually resulted in the star guard landing in Brooklyn.
Fischer reported that Harden is “at this point expected to report to training camp,” but that shouldn’t be a source of comfort for Philadelphia fans.
“You can cause far more headaches for the organization you’re trying to leave by showing up as opposed to staying home,” Fischer continued.
“With both the Rockets and Nets, Harden made various trips away from the team to various nightlife activities. He made Brooklyn feel like it had no other option but to trade him to the Sixers before the 2022 trade deadline or risk losing him for nothing.
“With Philadelphia, Harden’s side is very much of the belief that joining the Clippers is not a matter of if, but when.”
Harden agreed to his $35.6 million deal for the 2023-2024 season in June ahead of free agency, paving the way for a trade out of Philadelphia.