Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
If you questioned the New York Knicks front office on the issue, I’d have to imagine that their ideal scenario to play out this season (when it comes to transactions) would be for Joel Embiid to demand a trade away from the Philadelphia 76ers. In a vacuum, there aren’t many teams in the league that can outbid the Knicks. If there’s a player or trade target that the Knicks truly want, they’ll likely be able to get them. At the very least, they’ll be able to put forth an offer that many teams would be unwilling to no accept.
And for the most part, this is a team that has been waiting for the trade target to emerge. Right now, the right scenario has to be Embiid. He’d be the ideal complement to Jalen Brunson and would allow RJ Barrett to slide into a much more comfortable No. 3 role. Embiid would make almost any team a contender. Add him to the core of Brunson, Barrett, and some quality depth, and it’s easy to see why the Knicks may be waiting for this exact possibility.
I’m not sure it’s a certainty that the Knicks will make a big in-season move, but they absolutely have the capital to do so. I suppose the true question is, will the right target(s) emerge in this NBA Trade Deadline cycle?