Getty RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley of the New York Knicks celebrate.
In late July, beat writer Keith Pompey reported that the New York Knicks are “praying” that stud center Joel Embiid requests a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers.
Since this bit of information has come to light, there have been subsequent reports that have strengthened the notion that the reigning MVP desires to remain in the City of Brotherly Love, though this hasn’t stopped Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley from constructing hypothetical trade packages that he believes the Knickerbockers should send in GM Daryl Morrey’s direction.
The latest blockbuster proposal is quite a doozy and it reads as follows:
New York Knicks receive: Joel Embiid
Philadelphia 76ers receive: RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, 2024 first-round pick, 2024 first-round pick (top-12 protected, via WAS), 2025 first-round pick (top-four protected, via MIL), 2026 first-round pick
Considering their abundance of draft capital over the next several seasons, Buckley is of the belief that Leon Rose and company can certainly afford to offload a slew of picks in an attempt to land a legitimate superstar like Embiid which, in his eyes, is an attribute this Knicks team needs to advance from good to great.
“While the Knicks have assembled a rock-solid squad, they still seem a superstar short of championship contention. Embiid, the reigning MVP and back-to-back scoring champ, scratches that itch as well (or better) than any remotely realistically available trade target,” Buckley wrote.
In his first season following his agreement on a four-year, $213 million extension with the Sixers, Embiid put forth arguably his best campaign as a professional, claiming his first MVP title while sporting astounding per-game averages of 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.7 blocks while shooting 54.8 percent from the field.
Unfortunately, as has been the case for his entire career, the six-time All-Star was ousted from the postseason short of even a conference finals berth which, as a result, subsequently sparked trade rumors, be it just or not.
In Buckley’s opinion, this proposed trade would not just have the potential of being beneficial for the Knicks, but for the 76ers as well.
Sixers Jumpstart Post Joel Embiid Era Rebuild
Though the Sixers would be enduring the biggest loss from an individual standpoint in this hypothetical exchange with the departure of centerpiece Joel Embiid, Buckley suggests the move could actually prove to be quite beneficial in their hopes of a full-fledged rebuild, as they’d be adding on a bevy of draft picks to go along with young and promising players headlined by Immanuel Quickley.
“As for the Sixers, an Embiid deal would spiral them into a long-term rebuild, so they should seek out as many picks and prospects as possible. New York could go even heavier on the former by adding extra firsts or pick swaps, but that might mean losing some of the latter. If Philly plans on keeping Tyrese Maxey, it might want players on his timeline, and all four of the incoming prospects qualify. Maxey and Quickley even shared a backcourt at Kentucky,” Buckley wrote.
IMMANUEL QUICKLEY 🗣️
40 PTS (career-high)
9 AST
5 3PM
14/18 FG
W
Quickley is coming off easily his best season with the Knicks, as he finished with impressive per-game averages of 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.0 steals while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 37.0 percent from deep.
Seeing him reunite with college teammate Tyrese Maxey seems to be a rather exciting idea for Buckley, and, considering James Harden’s desires to depart from Philadelphia, they may find themselves in serious need of adding extra backcourt depth in the not-too-distant future.
Knicks’ RJ Barrett Deemed One of NBA’s ‘Overrated’ Players
Considering his status as a recently selected third-overall draft pick coupled with his impressive per-game counting stats over the last several seasons, one may be a bit surprised to see Buckley not leaning in on the potential impact RJ Barrett’s arrival would have on the 76ers in the event that his proposed trade becomes a reality.
That said, the folks at Bleacher Report have not been all that keen on the youngster as of late, as Buckley’s own cohort Andy Bailey recently went as far as to crown him as the second most overrated player association over the last five years.
“During his four seasons, only 15 players have logged more total minutes than Barrett, and that might actually contribute to his rank in points added by field-goal shooting, defined by Basketball Reference as ‘The number of extra points added by Field Goal Attempts made above league average.’ Without free throws, Barrett has scored 3,958 points on 4,157 shot attempts, or 503.4 fewer than a league-average shooter would have. The only player further below zero during his career is Russell Westbrook, who is obviously doing a lot more as a passer and rebounder than Barrett,” Bailey wrote.
Bleacher Report ranks RJ Barrett as the 2nd most overrated NBA Player of the Last 5 Seasons:
“There’s still time for Barrett to improve. He’s only 23 and has shown hints of point forward potential. But so far, it’s been bad.”
Bulletin Board Material for RJ.
Bailey would continue his argument by honing in on his surprisingly poor plus-minus rating, noting that “the Knicks are minus-1.9 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor over his four seasons, compared to plus-3.9 without him.”