The 76ers have put together a lineup that has a lot of people around the league paying attention, and for at least the next two seasons, Philadelphia looks loaded. The starting five, on paper, is the kind of group that can give opponents real problems.
But there’s one major concern hanging over all of it: Joel Embiid.
ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins said he wasn’t impressed by what he saw from Embiid in one preseason game, and he pointed specifically to how the big man was moving.
“I didn't like the way that Joel Embiid looked last night. I didn't like the way that he was getting up and down the floor...to me, he wasn't moving well, which pointed to me that says LeBron James is gonna play a lot of center position this year.
LeBron James is gonna have to and guess what? The Philadelphia 76ers actually could win the Eastern Conference this year, and make it to the NBA Finals with LeBron James playing majority of the center position,” Perkins said.
That uncertainty has opened the door to some wild speculation, including a potential Embiid-for-Anthony Davis deal. CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn tied the idea to the broader offseason chatter around Davis and LeBron James.
“I mean ... we spent a month in free agency hearing about how much LeBron James would like to reunite with Anthony Davis. These aren't hard dots to connect here, though a trade really only makes sense if Davis stays healthy and Embiid struggles,” Quinn wrote.
There’s also another layer to the Davis situation. His agent, Rich Paul, is reportedly looking into possible trade routes, with an extension with the Washington Wizards not seeming likely.
“But Davis’ agent, Rich Paul, is one of the game’s most powerful player representatives, and he has proven skilled at securing the deals his high-profile clients want, in the cities where they want to be. There’s little doubt that Paul already has gamed out other teams’ interest in Davis and will continue to do so as February’s trade deadline approaches,” The Athletic’s Josh Robbins wrote.
From a basketball standpoint, a swap like that could make sense for Philadelphia. It would bring James together with a player he knows well and add Davis’ defense to the mix.
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For a Lakers team still sorting out its rotation and identities, that kind of versatility matters. JJ Redick has described Mamukelashvili as an offensive piece who can move between positions, and he expects him to be involved in a meaningful way this season. The question now is how that preseason promise translates once the games start to count, especially if his ability to fit into different lineup combinations turns out to be more important than anyone first imagined. [Read more 🡒]