Getty Joel Embiid
For now, the Philadelphia 76ers don’t have to worry about Joel Embiid asking for a trade because he has not done so. However, it appears the New York Knicks are prepping themselves for if and when he does.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey revealed on SiriusXM NBA Radio that with their connections and assets, the Knicks are keeping a close eye on the Joel Embiid situation.
Could the Knicks be looking to acquire Joel Embiid?
@PompeyOnSixers tells @EvCoRadio and @SamMitchellNBA it’s the worst kept secret in basketball.
“Leon Rose used to be his agent. Joel already owns a house up in New York. He’s had it for a while, and the biggest worst-kept secret is that the Knicks have been compiling and keeping a hold of their first-round draft picks, hoping and praying that Joel Embiid asks out. If you add Joel Embiid to that team, that team is going to be catapulted to one of the top teams in the East. I could see that absolutely happening.”
Even if things were to come to Embiid requesting a trade, the Sixers might be hesitant to trade him to a division rival where they’d have to play against him four games a season, and that’s excluding a possible playoff matchup between the two teams.
Joel Embiid Says He Wants to Win No Matter Who With
On July 13, Embiid revealed to Maverick Carter that he wants to win a title above all else, regardless of if it’s with the Sixers or not.
“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. 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,” Embiid said.
Embiid also said that it will take more than just him to win a title and that it’s what he wants more than anything.
“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.”
Joel Embiid Trade Request Not Coming Anytime Soon
After Embiid’s comments with Carter went viral, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported that Embiid won’t be making any trade requests in the near future.
“As for the question of whether Embiid might be trying to leave Philly anytime soon, a high-ranking Sixers source told The Athletic that Embiid or his representatives have not shared any such message with the team.,” Amick wrote.
Amick added that the Sixers believe that Embiid’s loyalty to the team is comparable to two NBA Hall-0f-Famers.
“In fact, the organization’s 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. The source was granted anonymity because these sorts of matters aren’t typically discussed publicly.”
All indications are that Embiid will stay loyal to the Sixers, but that can change. For years, Damian Lillard was lauded for his loyalty to the Portland Trail Blazers, and now, not only does he want a trade, but he wants to go to the Miami Heat. If things don’t get better for Embiid, who’s to say he won’t change his mind?