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Joel Embiid is Deserving of a Trade Deadline in Which the Sixers Really Go for it
By Sean Barnard
Published:
The Process will forever be a polarizing chapter in basketball history. Without getting derailed on all the missteps that occurred, Sam Hinkie not being granted a chance to complete his vision, or the NBA doing their best to ruin it themselves – it always felt this chapter was supposed to end with a championship, if not multiple.
Joel Embiid personifies this era as much as any player in any chapter of any franchise. He’s embraced it as his nickname and displayed a level of loyalty that is uncommon in today’s NBA. Embiid is currently the third-longest tenured player that is still on the team that drafted him, trailing only Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the latter seems a pretty likely bet to be off this list in the coming days.
Sentimental feelings aside, Embiid looks far closer to the MVP version of himself than realistically felt possible coming into the season. Entering Monday night’s Clippers’ game, the seven-time All-Star has posted averages of 26.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game. He still is a far cry from the peak version of himself defensively, but Embiid has been more engaged on this side of the ball, and the metrics now back up him impacting the game positively on this end of the floor.
Even more encouraging than Embiid’s continued return to form from a team perspective, Tyrese Maxey has grown into a true top-10 player in basketball. V.J. Edgecombe has been more polished than could realistically be expected for a rookie, and even Paul George has found his role on the team when he isn’t sidelined for a failed drug test. This current iteration of the Sixers has more legitimate depth than arguably any other in the Embiid era.
The NBA Trade deadline is on Thursday, and it will be a chance for Daryl Morey to put his finishing touches on this roster. The Sixers entered the season with an empty roster spot and players like Eric Gordon and Kyle Lowry essentially being non-factors at the bottom of the bench. Part of this was designed to control costs and save the team some money, while also providing roster flexibility. Dominick Barlow, who has essentially been the team’s full-time starting power forward, feels certain to get upgraded from a two-way contract to a standard deal. This otherwise would not have been possible without releasing a player if they had not kept an open roster spot.
Embiid himself had some pointed thoughts about the outlook at the trade deadline earlier this week. The concept of “ducking the tax” has become familiar in Philadelphia these past few years, with this being the clear deadline goal for several consecutive seasons. The Sixers have never paid the luxury tax since Josh Harris bought the team, with the organization not going above this tax line since the 2003-04 season. To be clear, there is a massive financial difference for tax-paying teams compared to those that remain under it. The top spenders cough up a surcharge that is paid out to the teams that remain below this pre-set limit. But there is no basketball or roster construction advantage correlated to the luxury tax. For an organization in a major market that has consistently held the goal of contending, this falls on deaf ears:
It’s also worth noting that Embiid’s financial call to action here is not for reckless spending and trades to sacrifice the future. But rather to keep this current unit together as best as possible. Continuity has been a frequent buzzword for Embiid over the past few seasons. His supporting cast has been a revolving door of talent around him, beyond what is sustainable for success. This includes guys who have passed up dunks in an open lane, called the general manager a liar to children in China, and a first overall pick who forgot how to shoot.
Perhaps the more compelling argument about Embiid’s belief that “we got a chance” is a look around the rest of the Eastern Conference. Last year’s conference winner sits in 15th place in the East as Tyrese Haliburton recovers from his Achilles tear. The Boston Celtics remain in the mix, but are without Jayson Tatum due to the same injury, with no clear timetable for his return. The Toronto Raptors feel the clear candidate for the annual team that wins a ton of regular season games only to be bounced in the opening round of the playoffs, while the Cavaliers have already lost more games than last season and are on their second head coach who has questioned this core’s mental toughness. Detroit remains at the top of the conference standings, but has not won a playoff series since the Obama administration, and has an unproven, youthful core. The New York Knicks always had the feel of a team that overachieved without a true 1A star, and the Karl-Anthony Towns experience is rapidly tearing apart the chemistry of the once tight-knit roster.
The point here is that the Sixers do absolutely have a chance. This is not to say that they’re a perfect team, but there is not one that exists in the Eastern Conference. Embiid has held up his end of the bargain in his recovery process and shown flashes of being a guy who can lead a team into June. Injuries will always be the a concern, but Maxey has shown these same signs of promise in the matchups in which the former MVP has not been available.
This is not to say that going all-in means to mortgage the entire future. It isn’t even to say that the Sixers need to become major players in the Giannis sweepstakes or make a move near that seismic. But what it should mean is the Sixers should be exploring every single possibility to trim fat on the roster and upgrade at positions of need. Vibes are oftentimes overrated, but there is a cohesiveness and team style of basketball with this version of the Sixers that has not frequently been the case in the Joel Embiid era. His calls for continuity and ensuring this remains the case should be heard.
This year opened up with a refreshing lack of expectations. But it has now turned into an opportunity that the Sixers cannot afford to waste. Embiid is an all-time caliber of individual talent that is still missing postseason success on his resume. You only get so many chances at competing with him, and there is no guarantee there is ever a better opportunity than this season. Give Embiid a real chance at the right storybook ending and have bigger goals than just saving some money ahead of the trade deadline.
Sean Barnard has covered the Philadelphia 76ers and general Philly Sports for over six years in a variety of roles and for multiple outlets. Currently works as a Content Writer for DraftKings Network, Sixers/NBA Insider for Philadelphia's Fox Sports the Gambler, and co-host of Sixers & Phillies Digest on Youtube. Forever Trusting the Process.