It's already been a headache-inducing offseason for Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operation Daryl Morey thanks to James Harden's trade request, but recent comments made by Joel Embiid likely have him reaching for even more Tylenol.
When speaking with Maverick Carter at the Uninterrupted Film Festival in New York, the 2023 NBA MVP said, “I just want to win a championship. I don’t know where that’s going to be. Whether it’s in Philly or somewhere else.”
To make matters worse, as of Tuesday, Embiid — an infamous subtweeter — had removed mentions of the 76ers organization from his social media bios.
Could Embiid be on the move after years of frustrating playoff exits with the Sixers? It might be a tough sell to the Philadelphia faithful, especially if the Cameroonian superstar ends up with an Atlantic Division rival, as the NBA odds indicate he might.
Find out where he could be headed in the latest Joel Embiid next team odds.
Joel Embiid's next team odds if not Philadelphia 76ers
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
 New York Knicks |
+200 |
 Brooklyn Nets |
+250 |
 Dallas Mavericks |
+350 |
 New Orleans Pelicans |
+450 |
 Miami Heat |
+550 |
 Los Angeles Lakers |
+650 |
 Utah Jazz |
+850 |
 Oklahoma City Thunder |
+1,000 |
Odds as of July 19, 2023.
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Favorites to acquire Joel Embiid
New York Knicks (+200)
For the first time since the 1990s, the New York Knicks may truly be on a championship course.
Powered by point guard Jalen Brunson, New York was able to give the eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat a run for their money. It feels as if they're a piece or two away from being true contenders if all goes well, and the NBA championship odds reflect that with the Knicks listed at about +5,000. But landing someone like Joel Embiid represents more than just a small upgrade.
Embiid would be a natural fit in Tom Thibodeau's system as a two-way big man. In postseason games like the Knicks had against the Heat that turned into defensive slugfests, having Embiid would be a huge advantage.
New York has the pieces as well as the draft capital to make an Embiid trade work. There's been speculation that RJ Barrett could be on the trading block, and he could be a solid player to build a package around. The Knicks also have a ton of draft capital after essentially punting on this year's draft, with up to four first-round selections and up to five second-round selections in next year's draft alone if various conditions are met.
Brooklyn Nets (+250)
The Brooklyn Nets have been quite active on the trade market of late, bringing in various pieces like Spencer Dinwiddie, Mikal Bridges, and Cameron Johnson after jettisoning both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. However, Brooklyn never quite gelled in the second half of the campaign, and were swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.
As they currently stand, the Nets are not greater as a whole when compared to the sum of the parts. But the parts they could yield enough value to Philly to persuade them to part with Embiid. The knock against Brooklyn is that they've dealt a lot of draft picks away over the last few years in pursuit of a title already.
Dallas Mavericks (+350)
The Dallas Mavericks could have an advantage over the Knicks and Nets simply because they play in the Western Conference, meaning far fewer potential opportunities for Embiid to face Philly.
Though Dallas could lose their first round pick for 2024 (protected Top 10), they still have their first-round selections for 2025 and 2026 even after dealing for Irving last season.
Clearly Kristaps Porzingis didn't work out at center the way the Mavs had hoped. With the way Dallas slumped (and outright tanked) toward the end of the year, they need to surround Irving and Luka Doncic with more skill players if they want to have any hope of contending for a title.
The cap space is there for the Mavericks, but they may not have the spare parts to bundle with the draft picks to make for an appetizing package.
Garden party
Knicks fans have engaged in some wildly optimistic thinking over the last two decades, but you don't have to be Pollyanna to believe Embiid will land in New York.
The Knicks can afford to be more flexible than just about any team in the NBA when it comes to creating a trade package for the reigning MVP, mixing both talent and draft picks. The 76ers would likely need to be blown away to even think about dealing Embiid, but New York can afford to overpay for one of the NBA's premier players.
My best bet: New York Knicks (+200)
