A report floated the Mavericks as a possible Joel Embiid suitor, but his injury history and contract make the idea far too dangerous for Dallas.
FortyEightMinutes reported Monday that a front office member mentioned the Dallas Mavericks as a possible suitor for Joel Embiid if Philadelphia decides to move on from the three-time MVP under new general manager Mike Gansey.
The report cited Dallas’ use of the NBA’s disabled player insurance under new ownership as a potential financial mechanism to make a deal work.
The idea is creative, but if it was to become a reality it would be a franchise-level mistake for Dallas.
The red-flag injury record alone should end the conversation.
Over the past three seasons, Embiid has played in 96 of a possible 246 regular-season games. In 2024-25, he played just 19 games before undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, his second procedure on the same knee in 14 months.
In 2025-26, the 76ers were so cautious with him that he rarely played back-to-back games, missing time with knee soreness, a strained oblique, a shin stress fracture and ultimately an appendectomy days before the playoffs started.
Dallas just lived through this type of scenario: The organization acquired Anthony Davis in the trade for Luka Doncic in February 2025, knowing the injury risk and history. Davis played just 29 games across two seasons in a Mavericks uniform before being traded to the Washington Wizards in February 2026.
Embiid’s medical profile is even more concerning than Davis’ was at the time of that trade. His knee has been operated on twice in 14 months and he has appeared in only 96 regular-season games over the past three seasons. That is not the kind of gamble Dallas should make again.
Masai Ujiri has never been afraid to make a bold move for a proven star when the circumstances are right. The Kawhi Leonard trade worked because Leonard was 27 years old, healthy enough to play 60 regular-season games and motivated to prove himself after San Antonio. Embiid is 32, has played 96 games in three seasons and represents the opposite set of circumstances.
Dallas also does not control its own first-round pick until 2031 and any realistic Embiid package would require draft capital, young players and salary matching that the Mavericks simply do not have in abundance. There is no clean version of this trade that makes Dallas better in the short term or the long term.
The more interesting subplot from the FortyEightMinutes report involves what happens in Philadelphia if Embiid is actually moved. The report indicated the 76ers would retool around Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe and could target Houston freshman Chris Cenac Jr. as a high-ceiling project to sell to their fanbase during a longer rebuild. Multiple front office members around the league reportedly view Cenac as more than a lottery ticket, making that a Philadelphia storyline worth monitoring ahead of the June 23 NBA Draft.
