- The Philadelphia 76ers has long-been pressed about whether or not their two franchise players can coexist.
- Joel Embiid’s latest round of tweets shows his displeasure of being in Philadelphia.
- The Sixers should trade their controversial center, but it must be worth their while.
Joel Embiid is starting to sound like nothing more than a fussy millennial.
Considering his lack of leadership during his team’s recent sweep from the playoffs, it should be no surprise that he’s unhappy. But wherever Joel Embiid goes, he’ll take Joel Embiid with him.
But that’s not the Philadelphia 76ers problem.
Watch Embiid fumble his way into a third-straight loss against Boston:
Joel Embiid Drops Some Not-So-Subtle Hints
The 76ers had a massively disappointing playoff run this year, as the Boston Celtics dismantled them in four games. Without their other star Ben Simmons, Philadelphia looked to Joel Embiid for leadership. And he looked the other way.
But what’s new? People have been asking him to step up for years, and he’s shied away. His latest round of tweets proves that he’s not the star that Philadelphia should keep.
First, he tweeted this ominous message as his former teammate Jimmy Butler was tearing up the Milwaukee Bucks:
The obvious implication was, “what IF I were on the Heat with Jimmy Butler?” And the obvious answer is, “you’d probably still be whining on social media.”
Embiid followed that up with this tweet during the Heat’s second game in the series:
The sideways messaging is clear: Joel Embiid needs to leave Philadelphia. And they’d be all the better for it. They still had a stacked lineup this year with Simmons out, and Embiid proved he can’t lead the team. Simmons is a more modern prototype for the NBA, and he has a stronger mental makeup.
It’s time to shake things up.
Watch how these Hall of Fame big men rip Joel Embiid’s leadership:
The Trades
1. The Washington Wizards
Washington receives: Joel Embiid, Al Horford
Philadelphia receives: Bradley Beal, Thomas Bryant, Davis Bertans
Washington would have to sign Davis Bertans before this trade could work, but it would benefit both sides. Philly could surround Ben Simmons with shooters and an elite secondary playmaker. Washington would have a superstar big to pair with John Wall.
2. The Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn Receives: Joel Embiid
Philadelphia Receives: Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarret Allen, Lance Thomas + picks.
Brooklyn has an exciting young core, but it doesn’t matter. They have two superstars that are ready to win a championship right now. They’ll be looking to package their young talent for a third star, and Joel Embiid fits the bill perfectly.
Ben Simmons would get more shooting and playmaking in LeVert and Dinwiddie. Throw in budding young center Jarret Allen and a first-round pick or two, and this could be a win-win.
3. The Portland Trailblazers
Portland Receives: Joel Embiid, Shake Milton
Philadelphia Receives: Cj McCollum, Nasir Little, Gary Trent Jr., 1st round pick
These are two teams with two stars who don’t exactly pair well. Why not swap? Embiid’s ceiling is much higher than McCollum’s, but CJ and his shooting ability would slot perfectly next to Ben Simmons. Philly would get some extra, young talent, and Damian Lillard would get a star who truly complements his game.
Just imagine Cj McCollum opening up space for Ben Simmons to work:
4. The Indiana Pacers
Indiana Receives: Joel Embiid, Al Horford
Philadelphia Receives: Victor Oladipo, Myles Turner, Jeremy Lamb
This trade would allow Philly to dump Al Horford’s horrific contract while getting a prime young center in return. If Oladipo can return to 90% of his former self, he would be a perfect, defensive-minded, sharpshooting fit next to Simmons.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
