Could Golden State Warriors pull off a trade if Joel Embiid became available?

With the Golden State Warriors knocked out of the playoffs, all eyes were fixed on a Mother’s Day matchup between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, in what promised to be a thrilling Game 7. And thrilling it was — if you were a fan of the Celtics, as the C’s ran Philly right out of the gym, outscoring the Sixers 33-10 in the third quarter on their way to a 112-88 victory.

Jayson Tatum followed up a 5-for-21 shooting performance in Game 6 by setting the record for the most points in Game 7 history with 51. Tatum did so just two weeks after Stephen Curry previously set the record with a 50-point outburst in Game 7 against the Sacramento Kings.

Failing to reach the Conference Finals for the sixth consecutive season, the Philadelphia 76ers have a long off-season ahead. Could the Golden State Warriors take advantage?

Big decisions are on the horizon for the 76ers, though not all of them are under their control. Teams around the league will be carefully monitoring the status of James Harden in the coming weeks, and the former MVP has been increasingly linked with his old team, the Houston Rockets. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Harden is “serious” about a possible return to Houston.

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Harden forced his way out of Houston in 2021 when it appeared like the Rockets’ title window was quickly closing. However, he has close family ties there, and per Wojnarowski, there is a “comfort level” in Houston that could lure him back when free agency begins in July.

If the Harden domino falls for Philadelphia, attention will shift to this year’s MVP, Joel Embiid. Embiid-led Sixer teams have crashed and burned in the second-round for six straight years, leading many to believe that the big man’s patience is wearing thin. Embiid is not absolved of blame for Philly’s playoff collapses, as he has repeatedly struggled to sustain his regular season production on the offensive end of the floor. Still, misfortune has plagued the Sixers year after year, in the form of one Joel Embiid postseason injury or another, and while improbable, there is certainly a possibility that Embiid requests a trade in the coming months.

Could the Golden State Warriors hypothetically acquire the MVP in a deal with the Sixers?

Let’s preface this wishful thinking, by pointing out that there have only been two other instances in NBA history where a reigning MVP has been dealt before the very next season. The first was Wilt Chamberlain, who was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Los Angeles Lakers after winning the award in 1968. The second instance occurred in 1975 when the Lakers acquired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from the Milwaukee Bucks.

For Golden State to pull off this dream acquisition, it would cost them an arm and a leg — and that may be selling it short. Assuming that the experience core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green is off-limits, any realistic deal for Embiid would have to include both Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole to make the contracts match.

After inking a $210.1 million supermax extension in August 2021, Embiid will make an estimated $46.9 million during the 2023-24 season. Wiggins and Poole both signed extensions last summer to remain in the Bay through the 2026-27 season, landing $109 million and $128 million deals respectively.

Philadelphia would certainly have the leverage in these theoretical negotiations, and Golden State would have to be prepared to include any pick/player from their arsenal of tradable assets. Outside of the Dubs’ big three, no player would be safe, as tends to be the case when dealing with a superstar of Embiid’s magnitude.

Proposed Trade:

Philadelphia receives: Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, 2023 first-round pick (unprotected), 2025 first-round pick (unprotected), 2025 second-round pick (via Charlotte Hornets)

Golden State receives: Joel Embiid, Furkan Korkmaz

Unfortunately for the Warriors, It’s difficult to imagine Philadelphia accepting any deal for the MVP, especially one that doesn’t include most if not all of their young talent. Nevertheless, this proposal presents a win-win scenario for both sides.

On the Philly front, they lose both James Harden and Joel Embiid, which would effectively end the ‘Process’ era of the Sixers. They replace Harden with a solid young guard in Jordan Poole who, despite his ups and downs, has shown flashes of offensive brilliance. Moses Moody gives the 76ers a budding three-and-D wing with maturity beyond his years and a high basketball IQ. The Sixers would also get back a 20-year-old, defensive stud in Jonathan Kuminga, and Andrew Wiggins — a premiere three-and-D wing who is capable of scoring in bunches at a time and locking down the opposing team’s best player.

For Golden State, the addition of Embiid would make the Warriors immediate title favorites. The Curry-Thompson-Green nucleus has never played with a ball-dominant force like Embiid, but the trio has demonstrated that they can adapt to incorporate many different personalities and playstyles. Embiid has also had to shift his offensive approach in recent years to fit Harden’s pick-and-roll-heavy playstyle. The big fella would have little to no problem acclimating himself next to the Warriors’ seasoned veterans. Besides, great players usually find a way to make it work.

There’ll be plenty of decisions to be made at Philadelphia this offseason, with the axing of head coach Doc Rivers already announced just days after their elimination. If they to blow it all up, which remains unlikely, the Warriors should be front-and-center at what would be a hotly contested bid for the MVP.