It was a turbulent offseason for the Philadelphia 76ers as they had to deal with James Harden demanding a trade.
The 76ers were bounced out of the second round of the playoffs again and the frustration of losing plus missing out on an extension drove Harden to ask out.
However, Daryl Morey has decided not to trade the star guard until a team meets his asking price, a maneuver he pulled before when it came to Ben Simmons.
While the Harden saga happens in the background, all eyes are really on Joel Embiid, who some surmise will be the next great NBA superstar to ask for a trade.
Embiid may be the reigning MVP, but there is pressure within the 76ers organization to win a title and prove to the star big man that they’re dedicated to building a roster to do so.
Teams around the league are carefully monitoring the situation in Philadelphia, though it sounds like Embiid won’t be asking out any time soon via Kristian Winfield of New York Daily News, via Legion Hoops.
“A [Joel] Embiid trade [request] is not expected to come until next summer if it comes at all,” Winfield said.
REPORT: A “[Joel] Embiid trade [request] is not expected to come until next summer if it comes at all”, per @Krisplashed.
(https://t.co/P24yZmH52q) pic.twitter.com/fKKMe1N9ho
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 24, 2023
Embiid seems to be giving Philadelphia time to right things both on and off the floor, but their success this season will likely go a long way in his decision.
The 76ers’ lack of playoff success has been troubling to say the least given they’ve been all-in on winning, and the challenge of getting to the Finals only got harder with the top of the Eastern Conference getting better.
NEXT: Insider Shares Details About James Harden’s Extended Absence
