The Memphis Grizzlies And Philadelphia 76ers Should Consider This Trade
On Sunday evening, the Philadelphia 76ers lost Game 7 of their second-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics by a score of 112-88.
With the loss, the 76ers have lost in the second round of the NBA Playoffs for the third straight season.
Joel Embiid won the 2023 NBA MVP Award and has led the franchise to the playoffs for six straight seasons.
That said, they have yet to make it out of the second round since the 2001 season.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, the Memphis Grizzlies announced that All-Star point guard Ja Morant has been "suspended from all team activities" following a viral social media video where he was allegedly holding a gun.
During the regular season, Morant was suspended for eight games due to a similar incident.
I believe the 76ers and Grizzlies should consider swapping the two superstars in a trade.
Why?
Embiid has been with the organization for nearly a decade (he missed the first two seasons of his carer due to injury), and they have yet to make a deep run in the NBA Playoffs.
He is 29 years old, so it may be time for the 76ers to consider a fresh start for their organization and see what Embiid could land them on the open market.
The superstar center has a new four-year, $210 million contract that will begin during the 2023-24 season.
In addition, 2018 MVP James Harden can be an unrestricted free agent this summer (he has a player option for the 2023-24 season at $35.6 million).
If Harden were to leave, the 76ers would be significantly worse next season.
As for the Grizzlies, Morant's alleged off-court issues have piled up, and he may also be better off getting a change of scenery before a massive five-year, $194 million contract kicks in next season.
In the hypothetical move, the Grizzlies would have to send more than one player to make the salaries work, but a deal would be possible.
The 76ers can give Morant a new opportunity with a roster that features veterans (and an NBA Champion head coach in Doc Rivers).
Morant averaged 26.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.1 steals per contest during the 2022-23 season and appears to be only getting better at just 23 years old.
As for the Grizzlies, they have a talented roster that has gone 31-15 in 46 games without Morant (over the last two seasons), according to StatMuse.
They have the perfect supporting cast for Embiid with players such as Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Tyus Jones.
While a blockbuster trade between the two teams is highly unlikely, it's something that could be a win-win for both franchises.
