2023-05-20 14:26:00
After another premature elimination in the Playoffs, many questions surround the Sixers’ offseason. Who will replace coach Doc Rivers on the bench? Is James Harden regarding to return to Houston? What does this all mean for Joel Embiid’s future? We will obviously be watching this closely in the coming weeks, and obviously the Knicks too.
At some point, Joel Embiid’s future at the Sixers is going to become a real topic. And that moment may have already arrived.
Just a week ago, his Philadelphia team fell for the third straight year in the conference semifinals stage, and the fifth time in six years. Joel has still not reached the last four of the Playoffs, he will potentially lose his All-Star lieutenant James Harden next offseason, and the Sixers are now without a coach. Not quite the kind of situation a 29-year-old MVP (with weak knees, to boot) likes to find himself in.
Hence the next question: is there a scenario where Joel gets impatient and ends up asking for his transfer? Or can the Sixers decide to trade Embiid in the future if the team isn’t going anywhere, in order to go in a new direction?
Knowing that Jojo is under contract with Philadelphia until at least 2026 (he has a player option for the 2026-27 season), perhaps these questions are premature. But there is a team located 150 kilometers north of Philly that is following the file closely.
Been told since midseason that Joel Embiid is the guy to watch for the Knicks, and Philly’s playoff flame out only intensified that belief.
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) May 19, 2023
According to Stefan Bondy of New York Daily News, the New York Knicks have been keeping tabs on the situation in Philadelphia for several months. And according to the insider, the Sixers’ new loss in the Playoffs is reason enough to take the “Joel Embiid to Knicks?” rumor seriously.
Like Philly, New York fell in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to Jimmy Butler’s Heat. If the Knicks have taken a real step forward this year thanks to the arrival of excellent point guard Jalen Brunson in the summer of 2022, the loss once morest rival Miami is still struggling to pass. The Knicks had home-court advantage and a great opportunity to reach the last four for the first time since 2000, especially following Milwaukee’s surprise first-round elimination. Instead they lost 4-2 due to a lack of support around Brunson, with RJ Barrett and especially Julius Randle garnering the majority of criticism.
You see where we are coming from.
The Knicks have a nice draft capital, young players interesting enough as well as imposing but transferable contracts, to try to mount an XXL trade with the aim of becoming a more serious competitor in the Playoffs. Will Joel Embiid be the star at the heart of this potential blockbuster deal? The future will tell. But we have already seen less credible as a rumor…
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Source texte : New York Daily News
Joel Embiid is a name to watch for the New York Knicks, per @SBondyNYDN pic.twitter.com/qZKmEjpXHi
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) May 19, 2023
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#Knicks #close #eye #Joel #Embiid #case