NBA Rumors: Joel Embiid can be traded for Kawhi Leonard, NBA GM suggests
Joel Embiid has found his name in the rumor mill in the wake of the Philadelphia 76ers' second-round loss to the Boston Celtics. With James Harden potentially heading back to Houston, and a coaching vacancy, many are wondering if Embiid will force his way out.
Given that, wild theories have continued to fly regarding where the 2023 MVP could potentially land. This week, a potential trade between the 76ers and Miami Heat found its way into headlines as fans theorized about a Bam Adebayo-Joel Embiid trade.
Now, Sean Deveney of Heavy is speculating as to a potential trade between the LA Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers. According to his report, the 76ers are only interested in an even swap, meaning the number of options decreases significantly. One potential trade that does work, however, is a swap for Kawhi Leonard.
“It would have to be a star, a proven star. They want one player back, an even swap," said Sean. "There are not many who fit that with Embiid. Kawhi might be the only guy who really fits, a guy they (the Clippers) might be willing to move off of and who would be in the same category as Embiid, a guy (Morey) would even consider.”
How Doc Rivers' departure impacts a potential Joel Embiid trade
The 76ers decision to part ways with Doc Rivers didn't seem to go over well with Joel Embiid. As Darryl Morey explained, Embiid and Rivers had built a pretty good relationship. Considering that the MVP was seemingly blindsided by Rivers' firing, his relationship with the franchise could be strained.
After parting ways with Rivers, Morey spoke about the situation as it pertains to Embiid, saying:
"He was very close with coach Rivers. And yeah, he was shocked about the change. And it's my job to help convince him that the new coach is someone that he'll have a great relationship with as well.
"My job is to evaluate everything. And we felt like that was the best move for helping us get to our goals going forward. It was carefully thought out, and I recommended it to ownership and they accepted it."
So far there has been little movement on the team signing a new coach. As the playoffs progress and we make our way through the offseason, the landscape of the league could change significantly.
If Embiid were to be traded to the Clippers, the Western Conference would see both Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid terrorize teams. With that being said, the Clippers have shown little indication that they're interested in trading either Kawhi Leonard or Paul George.
Although the pair came up short in the playoffs, largely due to injuries, the organization still seems to believe that if the duo is healthy, they can make waves.