Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid commented on what he hopes to see the team do at this year's trade deadline.
The NBA trade deadline (Feb. 5) is less than one week away, but the Philadelphia 76ers are yet to make a deal.
Most are anticipating Philadelphia's front office to make a trade that allows them to avoid the luxury tax. As it stands, the team is roughly $7 million over. This means to dodge the tax the 76ers either need to move Kelly Oubre Jr. ($8.3 million), Quentin Grimes ($8.7 million), or Andre Drummond ($5 million) and Eric Gordon ($2.29 million) for no salary in return.
76ers superstar Joel Embiid, however, has a different vision for what he'd like the front office to do. He shared the following after their win against the Sacramento Kings:
"Obviously, we've been ducking the tax the last couple of years, so hopefully we keep the same team," Embiid said, per Ky Carlin. "I love all the guys that are here. I think we got a shot. So, hopefully, I don't know what they're going to do, but I hope that at least we got a chance to just go out and compete because we got a good group of guys in this locker room, and vibes are great."
The 76ers have a record of 26-21, which is good for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. This record puts them behind the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Although Embiid hopes the roster remains the same, it's clear an upgrade or two could greatly benefit the team's chances of winning the East. Whether that potential upgrade comes in the frontcourt or on the wing remains to be seen.
Embiid continued, "So yeah, like I said in the past, we've been, I guess, ducking the tax. So, hopefully, we would think about improving because I believe we have a chance."
Given the way Oubre has been playing in recent weeks, it would feel a bit foolish to move on from him. Grimes, on the other hand, is not meeting expectations, but he does have a no-trade clause, making it a tall task to trade him.
The most likely outcome is packaging together Drummond and Gordon, as second-year center Adem Bona has taken control of the backup center position while the latter rarely plays.
Join the 76ersRoundtable Community
Become part of our growing 76ers Roundtable community — and it’s completely FREE. Share your takes in written posts or videos, jump into discussions with our Roundtable staff, and connect with fellow Sixers fans who live and breathe the team. If you’re asked to download the Roundtable app or sign up, that’s free too!
Anthony Pasciolla is the publisher of 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached via email at ampasciolla@gmail.com or followed on X @AnthonyPasci.