A few weeks ago, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers set off a tiny firestorm when he possibly suggested that he could maybe leave his team someday.
It was just a short statement but it got people very worried.
Then reports came out saying that that wasn’t a real danger and that Embiid was still committed to the Sixers.
But is that still the case?
According to Vince Goodwill, via NBACentral, many around the league believe that Embiid will ask out “sooner rather than later.”
Additionally, “everyone’s circling” Embiid in case he does leave, with the New York Knicks and Miami Heat keeping an eye on everything going on.
Many around the NBA believe Joel Embiid will ask out sooner rather than later, per @VinceGoodwill
“Everyone’s circling, waiting. The Knicks and Miami are keeping an eye on everything going on,” pic.twitter.com/2hwtqIv7jg
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 19, 2023
It’s not clear what this possible timeline for Embiid’s departure would look like.
What does “sooner rather than later” mean?
Does that mean that he will give the 76ers one more season or will he ask even before that?
Could Embiid be playing for a different team by the time the playoffs arrive?
The team is currently in flux with a lot of moving pieces.
They fired Doc Rivers as head coach and hired Nick Nurse to replace him, which suggests the team’s approach is going to change.
Of course, the front office is currently dealing with the messy James Harden situation too.
If Harden gets his way, he won’t be playing for Philadelphia when the new season kicks off.
But who will be playing in his place?
There are many questions swirling around the team right now.
If Embiid did end up leaving the team, the Knicks and Heat would be two of many teams wanting to get him.
They would also have to give away a lot in order to land the MVP.
The Sixers are playing hardball with the Harden trade drama but they’d take it to a whole other level if it was Embiid.
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