The Chicago Bulls are a potential trade destination for Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid.
Speculation surrounding a Joel Embiid trade is rather quiet, mainly because of how hard it will be for the Philadelphia 76ers to move on from him.
Embiid's extensive history of injuries and three-year, $187 million contract extension that begins next season eliminates the vast majority of NBA teams from expressing interest in him. If the 76ers are able to deal Embiid, they'll likely have to pair him with draft capital to convince another organization to take on his contract.
That's where the Chicago Bulls could potentially come into play. FanSided urged the 76ers and Bulls to consider a blockbuster trade involving Embiid.
Philadelphia's motivation for trading Embiid to Chicago would be simple.
It removes them from financial prison while allowing them to begin building the team around the backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe. It's likely the Sixers would also explore trades surrounding Paul George in this scenario to fully free themselves of their veteran core.
There are two major downsides, however.
Firstly, giving up draft capital when the goal is to build around youthful pieces is far from ideal. The appeal for the Bulls in this scenario would not be Embiid, but rather the pick(s), so the inclusion of at least one first-rounder would be necessary.
Secondly, the Bulls lack appealing assets. In this trade, the 76ers could undoubtedly pry away a few key contributors from Chicago, but chances are Philadelphia won't end up with any key building blocks.
The goal of this hypothetical deal for the 76ers is strictly to cut ties with 'The Process' era.
Chicago finished this season as the No. 12 seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 31-51. It's clear the Bulls are quite far away from being a serious championship contender even in the weaker East.
That's why taking on Embiid's contract isn't a major negative for them. The Bulls can simply wait out his deal while simultaneously benefiting from the draft picks the 76ers include.
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