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.
4: Immanuel Quickley
Immanuel Quickley and Tyrese Maxey on the same team? If the Sixers grant James Harden’s request for a trade, that will give Maxey the green light to solidify himself as the second-best player in Philadelphia. The Sixers would be better off proceeding with Maxey and moving on from Harden.
In that case, if Embiid were made available, Philadelphia could reunite the former Kentucky duo on the Sixers. IQ and Maxey were selected in the 2021 NBA Draft, with Maxey going No. 21 and Quickley going No. 25.
Quickley is reportedly hoping to get a contract extension that’s nine figures, and according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, “the Knicks would consider an extension for Quickley around $20 million per year.” Scotto wrote that if IQ were to “play himself into a higher average annual salary, the Knicks may consider trading him as part of a package to acquire a star player.”
New York fans have been adamant about wanting to see IQ sign an extension, but even if he does, that won’t prevent the Knicks from including him in a trade package sometime in the future.
3: Quentin Grimes
If Daryl Morey didn’t demand Quentin Grimes in a Joel Embiid trade, he’d be doing a disservice to the entire city of Philadelphia. Grimes was thought to be “off-limits” in a Donovan Mitchell deal, but reportedly New York thought that including Grimes and RJ Barrett was too expensive.
Grimes appeared in only 46 games as a rookie, but after replacing Evan Fournier as a starter toward the beginning of the 2022-23 season, he played in 71 games (66 starts). Similar to Quickley, the best is yet to come for Grimes. He turned 23 in May and has already shown that he has the potential to be a strong 3-and-D wing in today’s NBA.
He shot 38.6% from three in the regular season, which took a significant dip in the playoffs as he shot 24.3%. New York was horrid from the three-point line, shooting 29.2%. Also, it was Grimes’ playoff debut, so that could’ve played a role in how he performed.
As nice as it would be to see Grimes play alongside Embiid, there’s a slight chance that the Knicks would get by with keeping the wing in a potential trade.
2: RJ Barrett
RJ Barrett is the player that Knicks fans considered untouchable in last year’s Donovan Mitchell trade talks, but how things change. Barrett signed a four-year extension in 2022 that had every fan excited to see what 2022-23 would be like for the former lottery pick, but the regular season was full of disappointment.
Barrett started cold, got hot, and returned to cold again. His inconsistency has been an issue since he entered the league. However, he showed up in the playoffs when it mattered most and was key to the Knicks sealing the series win over the Cavaliers. Even against the Heat in the semifinals, he was New York’s second-best player behind Jalen Brunson.
He already has four NBA seasons under his belt and just turned 23 in June, so whether or not you’re a Knicks fan who’s already fed up with Barrett, he can still easily change his career trajectory.
Barrett’s extension kicks in this upcoming season, and he isn’t set to enter free agency until the 2027 offseason. When it comes to a Joel Embiid trade, including Barrett would help to make the finances work. And what if the Sixers could unlock the version of Barrett that Knicks fans have desperately wanted to see?
1: Mitchell Robinson
This one’s a no-brainer. The Knicks wouldn’t need Mitchell Robinson if they traded for Joel Embiid. Instead, Robinson would either be sent to Philadelphia in the trade package or be dealt elsewhere. And no, one of the best offensive rebounders in the game wouldn’t be content with coming off New York’s bench to backup Embiid.
If Embiid staying healthy is a concern for Knicks fans, he’s been available for more games than Robinson has in two of the last three seasons. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to avoid injuries entirely, especially when it comes to players that are 7-foot-tall.
Robinson would be a good consolation prize for the Sixers after losing Embiid, although the current Knicks center is far from being the scorer that Embiid is. Robinson scored a career-high 9.7 points in 2019-20, while Embiid’s coming off a career-best season where he averaged nearly three times as much.
Robinson was one of the diamonds in the rough that New York snagged in the second round. He’s also a player that the organization values, or he wouldn’t have re-signed with the Knicks when he was a free agent in 2022.
He’s frequently vented on social media regarding his frustrations about how the team uses him, so if an Embiid trade were to happen, perhaps he wouldn’t have those same frustrations in Philadelphia.
The bottom line is that if Joel Embiid were to request a trade and the Knicks were to win the sweepstakes, Robinson would be gone one way or another.
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