With the NBA trade deadline less than a month away, Ben Simmons still hasn't played for the Philadelphia 76ers, while the team's cornerstone player Joel Embiid has played at MVP level again since last season, averaging 27.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals per game, almost single-handedly helping the 76ers stay competitive and make it to the playoffs.
The 27-year-old Embiid is undoubtedly in the prime of his career, playing the best performance of his career and, above all, his good physical health. Embiid is currently one of the most dominant players in 76ers history, becoming one of only three players in franchise history to score more than 30 points in eight consecutive games, along with Chamberlain and Iverson. The 76ers have a 7-1 record during his tenure, and while that shows embiid's influence on both ends of the spectrum, in an era of star-studded groups, the 76ers seem to struggle to win a championship without other stars. Simmons was, and should be, embiid's star, but he's currently in a state of absenteeism, and tobias Hasslis should be the third star of the 76ers in terms of the huge five-year, $180 million contract he signed, but that's not quite true.
Now embiid's names are in the trade rumours, but no substantial progress has been made so far. On Thursday, ESPN's ace reporter Adrian Voinarovsky reported that Simmons' agent Rich Paul met with 76ers management, but the two sides are still at an impasse over the future of the All-Star guard, Simmons has yet to meet the 76ers' demands for his return to the game this season, and the 76ers' high asking price has also led to simmons' trade problems without progress. As for Harris, his contract surplus is worth as much as $80 million and the 76ers are struggling to find a receiver, so he's likely to stay with the 76ers.
So, would the 76ers really waste Embiid's peak of a year? So far, the answer seems to be yes. According to BLACHER reporter Jack Fisher's latest report, the 76ers have been waiting for the names of Damien Lillard, James Harden, Bradley Beale and Jaylen Brown to appear on the trading market. If it's for these guys, the 76ers' stubbornness and waiting does make sense, but who can guarantee that any of these players will actually be put on the shelves? Even if someone were to be in the trading market, who would be the best player to partner embiid?
Theoretically, Lillard, Harden, Beal and Brown can all work well with Embiid, but I believe that the player who is best suited to Enn is a defender and wing player who can create offensive opportunities. From this point of view, Brown may be the ideal candidate for partner Embiid, but will the Celtics really trade a cornerstone player to their rivals in the East? And for the Celtics, will Simmons be an upgraded version of Brown? I don't think so the Celtics should have any interest in trading with the 76ers. In the same way, the Wizards and Beal, the Trail Blazers and Lillard, is getting Simmons enough to get them to meet the 76ers' asking price? Probably not.
For Harden and the Nets, Simmons is more meaningful than the other teams mentioned earlier, because they already have two super scorers, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and offense will not be their problem, but I don't think this will happen, because Harden and the other two superstars have a deep friendship. Therefore, the editor feels that the 76ers want to get these top stars is nothing less than wishful thinking, rather than letting Embiid waste another MVP-level season, why not lower the asking price and look for players who can make the team better now?
In some trade rumors, Xiaobian found a very interesting name, that is, Sacramento King Guard guard Teres Halliburton, the King has made up his mind to change the direction of the team, so it seems willing to trade any player in the team, and Halliburton is a good choice for the 76ers now and in the future. Harry Burton is still on a rookie contract, though, so in order to tie Simmons' contract, the Kings must also send out top scorer Buddy Hield, and the problem here is that the 76ers may ask the Kings to send one more (or more) first-round picks, which may be where the Kings are reluctant, especially when we consider the compatibility issue between Darlon Fox and Simmons. But consider Halliburton and Hield's pairing with Embiid, and the 76ers' current roster, who are sure to be one step closer to their dream of fighting for the championship. Halliburton and Hield could improve the 76ers' chances of winning the title without wasting Embiid's MVP season, while the other team is the closest to agreeing to a trade option.
The bottom issue is that Embiid is best suited for a defender or wing player who can score from outside and mid-range, and if that player still has some organisational skills, it would be great, and the 76ers should do everything they can to replace Simmons' vacancy with one such player as soon as possible before Embiid reaches his peak.