Whether Joel Embiid was actually trolling or not by saying that he aspires to win a championship “whether it’s in Philly or anywhere else,” the 2022-23 NBA MVP requesting a trade sometime in the next year wouldn’t be a shock. For the New York Knicks, it’d be a dream come true.
Would Daryl Morey trade Embiid to a hated division rival? If the Knicks could put the best package together, Morey would be foolish to reject New York’s offer. It’d be a different ordeal if Embiid requested a trade and listed the Knicks as his No. 1 destination, which wouldn’t be a shock given New York’s recent success and connection with Leon Rose.
If the star center wants to leave Philadelphia in the future and New York hasn’t made its big move for a star, a few of these five Knicks players could make the short trek to the City of Brotherly Love.
5 Knicks players that could be included in Joel Embiid trade package
5: Julius Randle
The Knicks organization loves Julius Randle. It doesn’t matter whether you like him or not as a fan because it’s the front office’s belief that matters. If trading Randle was in the cards, New York would’ve kept hold of Obi Toppin.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, a guest on The Lowe Post podcast, Randle would only be traded for a star of Joel Embiid’s caliber. Begley said:
"“I don’t think there’s a world right now where the Knicks would move Julius Randle. I mean, it would have to be for like [a Joel] Embiid or a player that’s going to change your franchise day 1 as soon as he steps in the building.”"
So, it’s more than reasonable to say that if New York could get Embiid, Randle could be included in the package, especially because Embiid and Randle sharing the floor together wouldn’t be the best idea.
And who knows, if an Embiid trade were to happen next summer following another less-than-ideal playoff performance from Randle, that could be what the Knicks need to move on from their All-Star in favor of a superstar.