Jazz Fans' Dreams of a Joel Embiid Trade Just Got Shut Down
With the Philadelphia 76ers’ persistent struggles to escape the second round, there were some talks amongst NBA fans and personalities calling for a potential trade of the 2023 NBA MVP. A crazy thought to say out loud, but Philadelphia has made the playoffs in six straight seasons, having zero Eastern Conference Finals appearances to show for it. There’s clearly going to be some chatter.
However, the 76ers seem to have no interest in entertaining these talks whatsoever, and rightfully so. Philadelphia has shown every intention to continue to compete in the East to try and make it over the semifinals hump. It’s also extremely hard to even match the value of a player like Embiid, considering his averages of 33.1 points, 10.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and his elite defensive impact.
76ers reporter Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer had this to say about the status of Embiid on the team:
There’s no plan to trade Embiid at any point. 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.
- Keith Pompey, via The Philadelphia Inquirer
This means unfortunately, Utah Jazz fans can stop working the trade machines to try and bring The Process to Salt Lake City. The team would likely find themselves atop the favorites to acquire the big man if available, considering their surplus of enticing assets they have on hand. Though, it looks like the front office may have to wait a bit more patiently.
Utah will have no problem continuing to build around their current defensive anchor, Walker Kessler. He’s significantly younger, cheaper, and his encouraging development could find himself soon being a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in the coming years. Punting on the upside of The Sheriff in order to try and win big on Embiid could maybe even backfire more than fans would expect.
While Embiid seems to be considered untouchable, it’s possible there will be more star talent available on the market later this summer. The Jazz must keep their eyes peeled if there’s a right opportunity to jump on.
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