The Sacramento Kings were one of the biggest losers in the NBA Draft Lottery, dropping two spots to the seventh overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. While that wiped out their hopes of landing a new face of the franchise, one executive thinks there could be another path for the team.
An anonymous NBA executive told Jake Fischer that he believes there’s a long shot scenario where Sacramento could trade Domantas Sabonis to the Philadelphia 76ers for All-Star center Joel Embiid.
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Philadelphia already made its first big change this offseason by firing president of basketball operations Daryl Morey. While coach Nick Nurse is returning, the franchise seemingly wants to make further changes to the roster after another playoff crashout.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Embiid popped up in NBA trade rumors this summer. The 32-year-old is now three years removed from winning NBA MVP and he hasn’t earned an All-Star selection since 2024. Given his history of poor performances in the playoffs, it makes sense why Philadelphia would want to move on from him.
Would the Kings Be Interested in a Joel Embiid trade?
Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
While the 76ers are certainly willing to trade Embiid, it’s fair to question if the Sacramento Kings would have any interest in acquiring him. The club is already projected to be over the 2026-27 luxury tax, meaning an even heftier tax bill for owner Vivek Ranadive to pay for a team that isn’t anywhere close to contending.
Swapping out Sabonis for Embiid would mean adding an additional $12.4 million to the Kings payroll next season, with that cost pushed even higher because of the luxury tax. That’s not even factoring in that Sabonis’ contract expires in 2028 whereas Embiid will be making $69.005 million in the 2028-29 season.
That’s not even accounting for the long-term durability risk that Embiid carries. There’s a realistic chance that Sacramento could acquire the former NBA MVP and see his availability and contributions greatly diminish in the next two seasons. Even just two years into the deal, the Kings might be looking at a version of Embiid that is no longer playable.
Financially, a deal like this would make sense for the 76ers. They would be committing less money to their starting center and Sabonis’ contract is shorter. However, the All-Star center has his own history of shortcomings in the NBA Playoffs and he’s a massive liability defensively. All in all, a trade seems implausible with neither team probably having interest in it.
Matt Johnson is Senior Editor of NFL and College Football for Sportsnaut. His work, including weekly NFL and college … More about Matt Johnson