Former player shares scenario that could lead to Joel Embiid joining Knicks
The Joel Embiid trade chatter is louder than ever entering 2023-24, mainly because the New York Knicks are reportedly willing to include Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, and Mitchell Robinson in a package for the reigning MVP.
Oh, and there’s the seemingly never-ending James Harden situation. He’s away from the team dealing with a personal matter, and his status for the Sixers’ season-opener on Thursday is uncertain. Depending on if a Harden trade happens and what Philadelphia gets in return, Embiid could look elsewhere to win a title.
New York Daily News’ Kristian Winfield reported that according to league sources, the belief is that if the star center requests a trade, it’ll be in the offseason (subscription required).
On FanDuel’s Run It Back show on Tuesday, former NBA player Chandler Parsons took it a step further by saying that he believes Embiid will be in a Knicks uniform in the 2024 playoffs.
Could Joel Embiid end up on the Knicks?? 👀 @ChandlerParsons thinks so 🤷 pic.twitter.com/rD9RiDa4iU
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) October 24, 2023
Chandler Parsons predicts Joel Embiid will be with Knicks in 2024 postseason
Chandler Parsons, who officially retired in 2022, thinks that a culmination of the Sixers’ suspected slow start to the season and James Harden’s holdout will push Joel Embiid out of Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey reported that the Knicks’ “No. 1 priority” is Embiid (subscription required), so it’s reasonable to assume that his next team will be New York. However, if he were to request a trade, there’s no guarantee that Leon Rose and the Knicks would win the sweepstakes.
New York is expected to secure back-to-back playoff berths for the first time in 11 years, and that could happen with or without Embiid. If he finds himself in NYC after the February deadline, it’ll mean that the Knicks had to part with at least a couple of their key young players. The team’s depth helped them secure a trip to the semifinals last season after not going all-in on Donovan Mitchell.
The bottom line is that since Leon Rose took over as team president in 2020, New York’s goal has been to get a star. If Joel Embiid becomes available, he could be that star. Will it happen in time to represent the Knicks in the 2024 playoffs?