The Philadelphia 76ers don’t plan to trade superstar big man Joel Embiid this summer, according to NBA insider Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Even though the Sixers haven’t gotten past the second round of the NBA playoffs in the Embiid era, Pompey believes Embiid is untouchable in trade talks.
“There’s no plan to trade Embiid at any point,” Pompey wrote. “So, yes, he is very much untouchable. There are some who believe the Sixers should consider trading the league MVP because of his injury history and inability to get out of the second round. But it’s not that simple.
“Embiid is the face of the Sixers and the main reason why they’ve won 154 games over the past three seasons. They won’t come close to getting equal value for the future Hall of Famer in a trade. Sure, they’ll get several nice pieces and multiple first-round picks. But any trade for Embiid basically would jumpstart The Process Part 2. And if we learned anything from The Process, nothing is guaranteed.”
Embiid won the MVP Award this season. The six-time All-Star averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists during the regular season and guided the Sixers to 54 wins.
However, the Boston Celtics beat the Sixers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in seven games. Embiid and Co. had a 3-2 lead in the series, but Philadelphia couldn’t finish the job.
Embiid signed a four-year, $210 million maximum contract extension with the Sixers in August 2021. The 29-year-old will make $46 million next season. Embiid’s costar, former MVP James Harden, is expected to leave the Sixers and sign with the Houston Rockets this summer.
If that happens, Philadelphia has to find another point guard for Embiid, who has career averages of 27.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. The Sixers fired Doc Rivers as head coach after their season ended and hired former Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse.
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