Sixers Insider: Embiid to Knicks Trade Can 'Absolutely Happen'
The New York Knicks already have a trio of ex-Philadelphians on their roster in the form of Villanova alumni Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and newly-acquired Donte DiVincenzo. But the biggest amount of metropolitan hype could center around a Pennsylvanian, a Philadelphia 76er to be precise, that won't play a single game in blue and orange.
New York's endless gossip stream won't let the idea of reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid coming to the Knicks die but intel from Phiadelphia is supporting the cause. Sixers insider Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer was the source, believing that, even with reports of denials emerging from the team's front office, dealing Embiid remains a possibility.
"Joel already owns a house up in New York, he's had it for a while," Pompey noted during an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio. "The 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.
"I can see that absolutely happening."
The Embiid rumor mill moved a torrid pace shortly after the MVP's cryptic comments about winning a championship "whether it's in Philly or anywhere else." Many have pegged the Knicks as the ideal destination, owing to Embiid's previously established relationship with Leon Rose. The current Knicks president and decision maker served as his agent upon his NBA entry in 2014 before joining Manhattan's front office.
Over the past couple of seasons, the Knicks have made no secret of stockpiling draft picks: the draft itself has been a sleepy affair for New Yorkers in the last two years, as the Knicks have made just one selection (the little-used Trevor Keels) in favor of trading and acquiring picks to save money (leading to a $104 million deal for Jalen Brunson) and stockpile in case of a superstar's potential emergence
Could that supposed patience yield Embiid? Only time will tell as Rose and Co. continue to stand pat.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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