The Philadelphia 76ers’ future around Joel Embiid is suddenly looking a lot less settled.
A recent report out of Philadelphia says there’s a real belief the team would like to get out from under Embiid’s contract, even if that means a difficult trade market and a limited return. The discussion centers on whether the 76ers are prepared to move on from the star big man as they continue to build around Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Sean Brace put it bluntly: “I think it’s going to be tough to move him, but I think those conversations are absolutely happening,” said Sean Brace, H/T Complex. “ I feel like [Mike] Gansey and Bob Myers, I think they looked at this opportunity and said ‘if we can get out of these contracts, we do it.
If that happens and you don’t get much in return for Joel Embiid, so be it. I think they’re looking for fresh, it’s a new sheriff in town.
I do think they’re actively moving Joel Embiid.”
That’s a significant shift for a franchise that has seemingly gone all in around Embiid and Maxey. The injury concerns around Embiid remain part of the conversation, and there’s still uncertainty about whether he’ll be able to answer them.
But when he’s healthy and on the floor, it’s hard to argue against his value. He’s still one of the best five to 10 players in the NBA, and even putting him around 10 feels low based on what he’s shown over the course of his career.
The problem is obvious: if the 76ers did decide to move him, finding a comparable star would be extremely difficult. Among the league’s top players, there doesn’t appear to be a realistic path to landing someone who can deliver the same kind of impact Embiid provides when he’s healthy. One possible route would be to try to replace him with multiple healthy players instead, but that doesn’t sound like the right answer here.
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NBA Legend Just Went All In On The 76ers Again
Tracy McGrady has become one of the more bullish voices around the 76ers again, and his case starts with the part of the roster that still gives Philadelphia real hope. He sees enough offensive punch and defensive upside in the group to believe the ceiling is much higher than most outside observers are willing to grant, which is why the conversation around this team keeps circling back to Joel Embiid and what he can still mean when he is available.
Embiids recent run has only sharpened the debate. His 2025-2026 season and playoff stretch were interrupted by injury issues, even as Philadelphia found moments that suggested a deeper postseason push was possible, including the comeback over Boston before the later sweep. For the 76ers, the talent is not really in question, but the larger question hanging over every big-picture projection is whether Embiid can stay on the floor long enough for those ideas to turn into something more than optimism. [Read more 🡒]
Joel Embiid Trade Idea Just Put The Sixers On The Spot
A fresh trade concept has put Joel Embiid back at the center of league chatter, and this one reaches well beyond the usual one-team rumor mill. The framework would send Embiid to Dallas in a three-team setup that also pulls Milwaukee into the mix, with the Mavericks and Bucks each getting pieces that fit their own needs while Philadelphia is left to weigh whether any blockbuster involving its franchise center could ever be worth entertaining.
For now, the Sixers still look far more likely to keep Embiid than move him, especially after reshaping the roster around Jaylen Brown. Even so, the mere fact that a deal of this size is being floated says plenty about how aggressively rival front offices are thinking, and why Philadelphia will keep finding itself at the center of these conversations as long as Embiid remains one of the leagues biggest names. [Read more 🡒]