3 Teams that would be perfect for Knicks to play on opening night

May 6, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) looks to dribble the ball as New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) defends during the second half of game three of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports /

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New York Knicks, Philadelphia Sixers, Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia Sixers. (Photo by Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports) – New York Knicks /

2: Philadelphia Sixers

Why not start the season out hot with a matchup between hated division rivals? More specifically, why not start the season with the team connected to Joel Embiid all summer versus the team that Joel Embiid actually plays for?

In case it hasn’t been made clear yet, the Knicks are hoping that Embiid will request a trade from the Sixers. Depending on how James Harden’s stand-off with Daryl Morey playoffs, that’s an outcome that could happen.

To the dismay of NBA fans, New York and Philadelphia was the first game on the Christmas Day slate last year. Embiid poured in a game-high 35 points. That’s a game that the Knicks should’ve won, but believe it or not, New York couldn’t hold itself together in the fourth quarter. How many times has that happened? Too many to count.

Sixers fans can continue to claim that there’s no way Morey would trade Embiid to the Knicks of all teams, but the star center has a connection with former CAA agent Leon Rose that might be too much for Philadelphia to be able to ignore. Let’s start the chaos off early with a Knicks-Sixers opening night game!

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