What is krack Alakin Fellow thermonuclear aappers. I am a damna valley coming at
you with out my fantabulous co host Grant Hughes. We're gonna get into one
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those are indie podcasts and YouTube description. Let's get into it. So,
the Joel Embiid trade requests, it's coming. It is not here, I
want to make that clear, but it is coming because it's it's probably more
than tangentially related to the James Harden trade request, which, per Sham Sharania,
the relationship between James Harden and Daryl Moray is fractured, and we will
get to all of that. But the comments that are making the rounds on
Joel Embiid, I'll play it for you. Was this during a recent sort
of panel esque interview. Let's just see what he had to say. Oh,
I'm just worn with the championship. We don't whatever he takes. I
don't know what that's called. What is you know? Heby else? You
know, I just want to have a chance to publish, want to see
what it feels like to win the first one and then you can pick kebab
the next one. So yeah, Joe ell Embid mentioning the in Philly or
anywhere else is what as people talking and I think it's probably been just not
dismissed because people are definitely talking about it. That's why I'm talking about it
at all. But you look at you all, embiid. He's always been
loyal to Philadelphia when you look at his comments. He does have three years
left on his deal technically, but hey, one of those oh it's four
years, it's three three guaranteed years and then that fourth year player option,
and so it does give Philly some time. But the clock starts ticking in
these situations a lot more quickly than it used to, and so like,
yes, you expect him to probably play out next season. You don't really
see these mid season trade requests, you know. Kevin Durant was sort of
an anomaly, but that was this pre existing situation where it feels like him
in the nets kind of talked about it last offseason he requested or trade then,
So you don't see someone like a Damian Lillard, like a Duell and
be just all of a sudden say hey, I want out in the middle
of the season. I think the time that really happened, we've seen stars
moved, but sort of a trade request fiasco before Kevin Durant, I think
was that Anthony Davis because it wasn't There was Mellow before him, and there
were others, and you knew that some stars might have wanted out in the
middle of the year. I guess Kyrie iring counts, but he's just all
over the place. So these things typically manifest over the offseason, and so
I would fully expect this to be a situation where Joel Embid probably finishes the
season in Philly, but I don't necessarily feel great about that, and it's
inextricably tied, not dangentily. Like I said before, to the James Harden
situation, James Hardener's requested a trade. I don't know who actually wants James
Harden. There are two ways to look at this. That he only wants
to go to the Clippers, and so that's why we're not talking about other
teams or the Damian Lillard sweepstakes, and maybe the Pascal Siakam sweepstakes are holding
up his a little bit just because he is older. But when you look
at James Harden, because he can't be extended after he's going to be traded,
the market for him just feels like, yeah, okay, if it
drops, then maybe the Knicks would get involved, or do we see a
team like coming out left field and I don't even know, like you're not.
That's the other thing that's really tough to imagine. This is what team's
gonna you know, does Chicago maybe get involved again? If the price drops
low enough, you could probably talk yourself in anybody. Some people have just
floated the Warriors, like once Chris Paul can be aggregated using that contract,
that would be hysterical. He is more James Harden is more antithesis to how
the Warriors play than Chris Paul is. I would think. So, yes,
maybe other teams would get involved at the price drops low enough, But
we know that Darryl Moorey isn't going to necessarily take a bath unless he has
to. There's the threat of James Harden leaving in for agency left last year,
but James Harden could have left him free agency this year and he opted
in. And so whatever you get for James Harden, let's just say there
actually is a market for maybe Miami wants to get involved. If the Damian
Lillard sweepstakes falls apart. You have to get enough to then either justify to
Joel Elbie that hey, we're continuing to head in the right direction, or
to tell him, hey, we now have the assets necessary to go and
get the other big name that becomes available, and even that gets a little
wan. Even let's just use you're Joel Embiid, Darryl Moray comes to you
and says, we're gonna get expiring contracts, So Marcus Morris, Robert Covington,
and let's just let's throw what I would think is the Clippers just best
package in there. It's Terrence Man, Marcus Morris, and Robert Covington plus
two first round picks. And there could be like other stuff in there,
but two two first round picks in twenty eight and thirty I believe they would
have to be four James Harden. So now you're sitting on those players which
are not Yeah, they give you some depth on the front line, but
you didn't replace James Harden's creation at all. As good as Terrence Man is
you are, I don't even want to say. If you're deeper, you
have bodies to go to the next season, be a playoff team. You're
not a contender with MAXI, Joel Embiid, Terrence Man, Tobias Harris still
on that rosters. It's a nice team, danthy Melton had a great year
for them. It's not a great team now, you do say to him,
if you are Joe and Bid, you're looking at that roster as is
constructed and saying they're not a contender right now. And there's no way for
this core to grow into a contender unless Tyrese Maxi becomes peak level James Harden
in terms of star power. They don't. They don't. Excuse me,
Serrie, you don't have to talk right now. Unless he becomes He's never
gonna be the same player as James Horn but on that scale of star and
yeah, okay, maybe he gets there, Probably not, So you're saying,
if you're Philly at that point, you're essentially sound. Joel Embide on
the idea of either one. There's going to be cap space, a ton
of cap space next year, where if you have man it cuts into it.
But you could get over sixty million dollars in cap space next year if
there's only Maxi's hold for a STRICTI free agency and EBID like those are your
bigger salaries on the books, And depending on what happens with PJ. Tucker's
player option, YadA, YadA, YadA. You can still have max salary
though if you keep PJ. Tucker, you have man on the books you
could have you have max cap space. What is that going to do for
you? In free agency? There is and I'm sure a ton of places
have talked about this, free agency is not what it used to be.
The players leaving during free agency now like the best ones are going to be
the Fred van Fleets, which are game changing, they're not franchise altering.
And so you look at some of the top names on the market and it's,
oh, Jalen Brown, he's going to sign an extension with Boss,
and it's it's going to happen. Pascal Siakam, maybe the Raptors move him,
but then if they move him, his team could still sign him to
an extension. I think the extension rules that's enough money to get him to
signed even if he's threatening not to, or do the Raptors just extend him
because hey, we just watch Fred van Fleet leave in free agency for nothing.
We gave Kyle Lowry away but in free agency basically for nothing a couple
of years ago. And then it's just is that even the guy that's not
the guy you're going to Paris to around the bead is Oganna Nobi. The
guy is Play Thompson at his age, he'll be thirty five at that point.
Is he the guy that you're And then you're looking at oh, ancient
Kyle Lowry will be available, Gordon Hayward is supposed to be available. There's
just and you get into the restricted free agency game and it's all right,
some of the biggest would be names have already signed extensions. Like what are
you actually going to get and where a team's not going to match? Can
you go after Patrick Williams? Okay, great, maybe the Bulls don't match,
but Patrick Williams really good player, not a great player. And so
Devin Vassell he hasn't signed an extension yet he will He's not leaving San Antonio
Manuel quickly? Okay, nice name. What are they doing for you?
And it's not going to be cap spaceed and so it's going to be can
you trade for another star? And that's why you would flip James Harden for
the Clippers package or another package. I'm assuming you wouldn't get a star back.
Maybe there are some three team machinations, but if you're Joel Ebean,
you have to sit at this. Let's just say that you can pull this
off where you get that type of equity from LA for James Harden. Can
you then turn that into Damian Lillard and just turning that into Damian Lillard or
I don't even like, let's throw another name out there that it's You could
name other players that might hit the market like Siakam and Karl Anthony Towns.
Those aren't fits for Joel Embiid, and so what are the other names?
Like you could Jalen Brown, Like, we don't know where he's going to
side an extension with Boston probably so he's even available. Let's just say the
Nets would part with mckel bridges. If you're looking at these players that are
coming in, is having to turn James Harden and maybe Tyrese Maxie plus the
one pick you can trade and then let's say you get two other first in
a James Starry. Let's just say that's what you get. If you're giving
three first and Maxie and then salary up for Damian Lillard and you're you're the
sixers, Are you a contender? If you're Joel Embid and you're looking at
this, Are you a contender? Honestly, I don't. Yeah, you're
up there in the east. If it's Damien, Like think of the top
ten player that would become available, because Damian Lillard is probably fringe an NBA,
like a top ten player at this point. He certainly he just made
all or did he make all hib He can't even remember at this point,
but he was in the All NBA discussion before he got shut down, And
like, you have to look at that level of superstar and when you're looking
at the other names, someone who could in any given seasons still be a
top ten player. John Hitch not available right now, Tatum, Durant,
Curry, Yokitch, Yeah, who else? Leonard? I mean, like
maybe Choire Paul George would be available. But if you were going to get
one of the those guys in a James Harden trade, you would have done
it already. Jimmy Butler, Devin Booker's not going anywhere, Aunty Davis Lebron,
Like, you're not Jake Gildest Alexander Like, now we're getting into those
names. Maybe you could go after in theory, Donovan Mitchell from Cleveland.
It's not gonna be part of James Harden trade certainly are those names with those
you know, those singular acquisitions, Do they make you a contender? I
don't. I don't think they do. Maybe for a year, but not
sustainably. And you're gonna bankrupt your assets too where you already don't have enough,
but where you don't have many assets. Excuse me, You're gonna bankrupt
the assets that you do have and be left with no other assets to go
out and make antillary moves or have necessarily the financial wiggle room to make impact
shignings in free agency. In so far as that's even possible anymore, you're
in a really tough spot because it's different. If you can turn James Harden
and then let's just say your pick, you're the first round pick. You
could trade in other stuff if you can keep Maxie and get that other star.
If it's a Damian Lillard, I don't even look, who are we
Who is the other star aside from Damian Lillard that you would be comfortable making
this move for as we're going through it, like so just using him as
sort of this placeholders star. If you want to throw Trey Young in there
or Jalen Brown, I don't you know again, Paul George would be I
think would be close. Paul Georgia kuai. But the Clippers aren't going to
get rid of them as part of any James Harden trade. I would be
or at least i'd be fairly surprised if they did. So you're not a
contender and now you're Joel Embiid and it's okay, Yeah, I have all
these years left on my deal. Things can change. Daryl Morey is super
aggressive. He turns thirty next March. He is also it'll be his age
twenty nine season, but it'll be turning thirty next March. Like the window
here. When you dealt with as many injuries as he has, it's a
problem, and you know people are gonna look at, well, is he
really in a position or request to trade when you look at how poor his
playoff numbers generally are. I think that's a fair discussion to have. At
least it was when we were trying to discredit not we, but people were
trying to discredit Nicole Yokitch because of his playoff performance. But you look at
these injuries and this comes from U. S. Barr Henny who works over
at is it SDN Sports. It's at SDPN sports. Excuse me. In
twenty eighteen Joe bead At a broken face and concussion. Then he had need
ten to nitis in two nineteen festors, twenty twenty one, torn meniscus,
twenty twenty two, broken face and torn thumb, two twenty three knee spring
He's had shipped to deal with. That's part of the Joel Embiid calculation.
But could he have been more dominant throughout stretches of those postseason if he wasn't
dealing with injury? And he does have some truly iconic performances from the playoffs
that we can call back to. He is a star, a capslock superstar
who absolutely has the leverage to request to trade. And because of this James
Harden stuff, if James Harden is still on the roster and you haven't had
to make some wholesale shakeups and Tyrese Maxie is still there, yes, I
think Joel Embiid will be a player who's going to be on this roster for
the duration of next season. But if you, if and when you move
James Harden, if you start even talking about parlaying what you have into one
player, just one player without any other assets, real assets of which to
speak, maybe even if you keep Tyres Maxie. The James Harden, the
Joel Embiad trade request feels like it's coming. And if you don't think that
it's coming, I don't think you've been paying attention to the NBA over the
past whatever many years, I mean the past decade really when you're looking at
when you're looking at all the trade request that we've already seen from stars,
I don't know if it's coming soon, but it's definitely worth pondering whether Joel
Embid. We've seen it from James Harden, and there might be other stars
that are moved. Where does Pascal Siakam get moved to summer? Yes,
and we know that Damian Liller request is a trade he feels like more so
than a Karl Anthony Towns, maybe even more so than a trade young And
there are real breadcrumbs there when you just look at the reporting over the years,
more so than anybody else. Joel Embiid is the next superstar who's going
to request to trade, and the Sixers absolutely need to nail whatever they're doing
from here on this next year. I would argue if not next few weeks,
because that's how close they are to a James Harden trade requests is that,
yes, I say it might come next, but there's a chance,
depending on what happens with James Harden, that we could be weeks down the
line, getting into August, and that's when the reports that Joel Embide would
like to play for a different team will start to trick cloud until next time.
And as always, I think you don't have to shout out to the
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