A potentially dramatic move between the Philadelphia 76ers and LA Lakers is being discussed among analysts.
The LA Lakers‘ first round exit in the NBA Playoffs has already sparked a lot of discussion about potential moves in the off-season.
And my far the most outlandish move is the suggestion to trade for Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid.
Bill Simmons suggested an Embiid-Lakers trade, describing it as a ‘get out of jail free card’ for the Sixers after handing the injury-hit star an expensive contract in 2024.
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty ImagesJoel Embiid to LA Lakers talk reaction
The possibility of Joel Embiid being an option for the LA Lakers has been met with a lot of pushback on social media.
Embiid only played in 19 regular season games for the Philadelphia 76ers before being shut down, and there will be plenty of other options for the Lakers to consider without the health risks.
ESPN expert Ramona Shelburne believes a move is worth the gamble to solve the Lakers size problems.
Speaking to ESPN LA, she said: “I’d do it. Hell yeah I’d do that. You only need him for the playoffs. I would do [a move for] Joel Embiid tomorrow, you could get him for almost nothing at this point.
“It’s just money, you have to come up with contracts that max, but his value is very low, with what’s going on with his knee.
“You just tell him to sit out the first half of the year and get right, and just be ready for the playoffs.”
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Joel Embiid only played in 19 games this season but his production remained at a very high level.
Data shows how Embiid was an effective player when he performed, averaging 23.8 points per game, even though this was well down on his last season performance, 34.7 points per game.
Embiid put up a 50 point performance in his last playoff series for the Sixers, although his team did not reach the postseason this past year.
Kristaps Porzingis, Jaren Jackson Jr and Nikola Vucevic suggested
Shelburne went on to say that Joel Embiid would not be her first choice option, referring to a possibility on the Memphis Grizzlies, “that’s not the center they need though, Jaren Jackson Jr, someone really good like that.”
She also threw out the possibility of Boston Celtics‘ star Kristaps Porzingis, who once teamed up with Luka Doncic on the Dallas Mavericks, commenting: “Is there something more interesting they can do, what about Porzingis, they are different guys now.
Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic was also suggested: “Vucevic in Chicago, guys that make a lot of money, maybe their teams are going in a different direction and need to shift some money.”
The Lakers certainly need to be opportunistic and have to take the decision not to compromise, they must target a solution who ticks all the boxes. It would not be surprise to see them sign more than one player.
Embiid is the highest risk-reward option, and the optics of signing a player with his injury history after they rescinded a trade for Mark Williams would likely draw a lot of puzzled reactions.