NBA Trade Rumors: Nets Could Send Allen, LeVert, Dinwiddie, And Draft Picks To 76ers For Joel Embiid
With their inability to live up to expectations as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, rumors have started to swirl around All-Star center Joel Embiid and his future with the Philadelphia 76ers. If the Sixers finally decide to break their star duo, there are speculations that they are more likely to keep Ben Simmons than Embiid. Once he becomes officially available on the trade market this summer, several NBA teams are expected to express a strong interest in adding Embiid, especially those who are in dire need of a frontcourt boost and additional star power to contend for the NBA championship title.
According to Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report, one of Embiid’s top potential suitors in the 2020 NBA offseason is the Brooklyn Nets.
“While center isn’t a need for Brooklyn with both Allen and DeAndre Jordan on the roster, Embiid is by far the superior option. He’s averaging 23.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 blocks in only 30.2 minutes this year, the lowest amount of playing time since his rookie season. Getting away from a crowded frontcourt with Al Horford, Tobias Harris and Mike Scott would help elevate his game. Spacing around Irving and Durant shouldn’t be an issue, either, as Embiid is shooting a respectable 34.8 percent from deep on 3.7 attempts.”
In the trade deal proposed by Bleacher Report, the Nets would be sending a trade package including Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, a 2020 first-round pick, and a 2022 first-round pick to the Sixers in exchange for Embiid. For the deal to work under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, the Nets would need to send more players to match the Sixers’ outgoing salary. However, if the trade becomes a reality, it would undeniably help both NBA teams in filling the requirements to improve their rosters.
Though it would require them to sacrifice plenty of valuable trade assets, the potential deal would definitely be worth it for the Nets as it would give them the third superstar that they have been eyeing to pair with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. A healthy “Big Three” of Embiid, Durant, and Irving would not only make the Brooklyn the heavy favorite to fully dominate the Eastern Conference in the 2020-21 NBA season, but it would also legitimize their chances of bringing home the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Trading Embiid would undeniably be a tough decision for the Sixers, but it is something that they should consider if they don’t want to remain a mediocre team in the Eastern Conference. Allen and LeVert may not be as good as Embiid, but they might be a better fit alongside Simmons. Dinwiddie would immediately address the Sixers’ need of a real point guard, while the future draft picks would enable them to add more young and promising talents to their team. Alternately, they could use those picks in another trade to further improve their roster.
