NBA Trade Rumors: Explore four monster offers that the New York Knicks should already be preparing for Joel Embiid.
With all the noise that is surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers concerning James Harden, it’s hard not to think about the potential fallout that may be awaiting the franchise with Joel Embiid once the Harden situation is settled. Even if the Sixers get a “good” deal for Harden, it’s hard to envision them being a contender in the Eastern Conference this season.
Even without knowing how the Harden situation ends, there are already whispers that Embiid could be the next superstar to demand a trade. If that ends up being the case, it leaves the Sixers in a very tough position. And there’s one team that could very much take advantage – the New York Knicks.
The Knicks have been relatively patient in their pursuits of another star and they could have their eyes on Embiid. New York has already had reported interest in Embiid and they have the assets to theoretically pull off a deal.
Assuming all this is the case to at least some extent, the Knicks have to already be thinking about potential packages they could create to send to Philadelphia. However, predicting what the Sixers would be asking for could be difficult.
Predicting the Philadelphia 76ers’ asking price
Let’s say that Embiid demands a trade and the Sixers are willing to facilitate one. The big question would be, what is the asking price for arguably a top 5 or 6 player in the NBA? For one of the best players in the NBA, in his prime, you’d have to assume the asking price would be two quality young players, salary fillers if needed, and at least four future first-round picks. That’s essentially what Kevin Durant was traded for at least year’s NBA Trade Deadline.
Based on that, let’s explore four monster offers the Knicks could send Philadelphia’s way in an attempt to pry Embiid out of their hands.
A feeling-out offer from the New York Knicks
In this first offer, the hope for the New York Knicks is that they could get something done without the inclusion of RJ Barrett right off the bat. And maybe that could be possible. This package starts with three intriguing young players and a salary filler. Mitchell Robinson, Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley, and Evan Fournier would be sent to Philadelphia along with four future first-round picks. It’s a big offer and one that may be enough for the Sixers to pull the trigger.
Robinson is a 25-year-old center who has the potential to be a consistent double-double player and the anchor of a defense. He fits in the Tyrese Maxey timeline and would help jump-start the Sixers’ rebuild. The same could be said about Grimes and Quickley – both are intriguing guards who have star potential in this league.
Even though this is a solid offer from New York in good faith, I don’t believe the Sixers are simply going to accept the first deal that is discussed. At least initially, it’s probably in the best interest of the Sixers to ask for more. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if the negotiations between the two teams began with RJ Barrett.
A package centered around RJ Barrett
In response to their first offer, the Philadelphia 76ers make it clear that they’re not accepting a deal for Joel Embiid that doesn’t include RJ Barrett. In an attempt to create a package around one of the underrated two-way budding stars, New York counters with this offer: Barrett, Evan Fournier, Immanuel Quickly, and three future first-round picks for Embiid. This is an intriguing offer and could be labeled as a step back for the Sixers or a step forward. It all depends on how Philadelphia grades Barrett out as a future star.
If the Sixers are sold that Barrett is a star and has the chance to develop into something more, this could be viewed as a great offer. The Sixers don’t get the four future first-round picks but they get one future star in Barrett and an intriguing young player in Quickley. As a point guard, Quickley theoretically fits a bit better next to Tyrese Maxey, so that’s why he’s included instead of Quentin Grimes – though, those two young players could be exchangeable in this deal.
In the end, I don’t believe this is a deal that Philadelphia is 100 percent on. Barrett is one of the most polarizing young players in the league and I’m not sure Philadelphia is sold on him being the lone centerpiece of a deal for Embiid.
A flurry of draft picks centric offer by the New York Knicks
In this third offer, the New York Knicks attempt a different route to land Joel Embiid. Instead of including RJ Barrett as the centerpiece of a deal, the Knicks decided to throw a couple of more first-round picks and bring back a couple of their other young players into the deal. In this attempt, the Knicks would send Mitchell Robinson, Evan Fournier, Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley, and five future first-round picks in exchange for Joel Embiid.
If nothing else, this is an intriguing deal that would likely have the Sixers considering pulling the trigger. This is a step forward from the previous two deals and the Knicks could be closer to landing Embiid with such an offer. I’m not sure if this is one of those slame-the-door agreements but five future first-round picks and young players is something that Philadelphia could be looking for.
The fate of this deal likely comes down to how much the Sixers value the Knicks’ young trio (sans Barrett). If Philadelphia views them in a good light, this is a deal that gets done quickly. If not, this is the type of deal that could help lead both these teams to a future agreement.
The godfather offer from the New York Knicks
In this final offer from the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers would get them to be a bit desperate. Essentially, this is the potential godfather offer that New York can theoretically make to get a deal done. If the Knicks were ready to land Embiid and needed to outbid the rest of the league for him, this is a deal that would likely be enough. The Knicks would include RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickly, and five future first-round picks.
As you would expect, this is an offer that the Sixers would probably jump to accept. This is a deal that the Knicks should be apprehensive about offering. New York giving up all their quality young players and five of their future first-round picks would be risky, but they’d still have Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, and Julius Randle around Embiid.
If New York believes that’s enough to compete in the East, they really shouldn’t hesitate. Embiid is a superstar in the middle of his prime. He’s the player New York has been waiting for to become available. If Embiid does become available, the Knicks can’t miss out.