Sixers boss Daryl Morey should trade Joel Embiid for Giannis Antetokounmpo — while he still can
Even if the deal costs the Sixers VJ Edgecombe, and even more, the chance to move on from The Process and add a true superstar is gift from the basketball gods. The deadline is Thursday. Do it.
If I had told you in October, as Joel Embiid recovered from his fourth knee surgery, that the 76ers star would, three months later, have played in 15 of the last 20 games and averaged 28.7 points and 8.1 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game, you’d have been satisfied.
If I had told you in October that Giannis Antetokounmpo would, by late January, be open to moving on from Milwaukee, you would have been intrigued.
And if I had told you in October that Antetokounmpo reportedly would welcome a trade to the Sixers to be paired with starting All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey, you would have been excited.
Hopefully, Sixers president Daryl Morey is excited. Hopefully, he’s on his smartphone right now, speaking with Bucks GM Jon Horst. Nicely. Generously.
Hopefully, Morey is trying to trade Embiid for Giannis before the trade deadline Thursday.
Hopefully, Morey is not swayed by the recency bias that is inevitable when Embiid plays well and when a player like rookie VJ Edgecombe begins to emerge.
Reports Thursday indicated that the Sixers have not contacted the Bucks, but then, it’s trade season, and everybody lies about everything. Sixers fans should hope that this report is as hollow as the Sixers’ postseason runs over the past 25 years.
» READ MORE: Five reasons the Sixers should be cautious at the NBA trade deadline
Because, incredibly, against all odds, fate has delivered Morey and the Sixers a miraculous escape route that would repair his recent mistakes and erase the entire 13-year stench of The Process.
It’s no sure bet, but Morey simply has to push all his chips in and snag the Greek Freak. He should do it today, before anybody else does, and before Embiid gets hurt again. Because, as sure as Democrats are going to cave to Donald Trump on the budget, Embiid — be it feet, eyes, knees, back, or hand — is going to get hurt again.
Morey needs this as much as the team and the city need it. Since arriving in 2020, he has been a big-move disaster.
Morey’s signature transactions: trading for, then extending James Harden, who held out and forced a trade; extending Embiid’s contract before last season, when Embiid was still injured; and, in July 2024, signing 34-year-old Paul George, who has been playing hurt since the ink dried on that deal.
These are not the sorts of moves Sixers owner Josh Harris hired Morey to make, but they might be the sorts of moves that convince Harris to fire him. Securing Antetokounmpo for the last four-plus seasons of his prime might not win the Sixers their first title since “Thriller” topped the charts, but it could, at least, buy Morey a little more time.
The Freak won’t come cheap.
Acquiring Giannis surely would mean trading not only Embiid and Edgecombe but maybe more, too. Perhaps second-year shooter Jared McCain. Perhaps even the Sixers’ next first-round pick, which, thanks to previous deals and contingencies, likely will come in 2027.
So what.
While there’s no guarantee Giannis is worth it, there are years of evidence that Embiid is not.
Antetokounmpo might never come cheaper. In this moment he has a right calf injury hat has lingered since early December, and there’s no timeline for his return, so he might not help much this season. He’s also 31, and he has a history of injury with his left calf. Calf injuries can lead to other issues, especially Achilles tendon injuries; just ask Tyrese Haliburton.
Again: So what.
Get the Freak a slant board, or a ProStretch, or whatever. I’ve got an extra one here at home.
For that matter, get him a litter carried by servants, like Cleopatra.
Get him whatever he needs.
Just get his butt to Philly.
No matter what his current status, Giannis is a far better bet for long-term health than is Embiid, whose long-term health isn’t even debated anymore. Hell, his short-term health is a constant issue. He’s been day-to-day every damn day of his 12-year career, and that’s a lot of days.
Entering Thursday night he had missed 451 of a possible 929 regular-season games in his career, or just under 49%. I’ve had three-owner used cars more dependable than The Process.
That said, when Embiid does play these days, he’s playing better basketball, and playing more minutes, than anyone could have reasonably expected in October. He’s in better condition than he’s been since 2017-18, his first full season (and his fourth in the league). For the first time in years, to use Sam Hinkie’s favorite expression, Embiid is a valuable asset.
You don’t believe Embiid’s a valuable asset? OK, neither do I, really. Fine. That doesn’t matter. It’s Morey’s job to make Horst believe it.
Morey must convince Horst that Embiid, who is owed an average of $62.7 million for the next three seasons, can help the Bucks in about 50 of their 82 regular-season games. Embiid’s availability for the postseason should be manageable, too; he’s missed only eight of 59 playoff games, and those games aren’t played back-to-back.
Don’t be sentimental. Be sensible.
Losing Edgecombe might hurt, but growth requires pain. Entering Thursday’s game, Edgecombe was averaging 15.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.5 steals, hitting 37.2% of his three-pointers. He makes two or three thrilling hustle plays per game and jumps out of the gym. He’s only 20 but he’s mature beyond his years. For that matter, he’s mature beyond Embiid’s years.
VJ is an excellent prospect with the ceiling of, say, Dwyane Wade. But he’s just that: a prospect, a player you hope develops in the future.
Giannis is a proven, top-three NBA star, today. For me, it goes Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, Freak-ić, and you can argue me into putting Giannis on top.
Last year, at 30, he ranked among the top five in most advanced metrics. He finished third in MVP voting, his fifth straight year in the top five after winning it twice in a row. It’s a waste of space here to extol Giannis’ inarguable skill and talent ... even if former Sixers coach and current Bucks coach Doc Rivers might disagree.
“Joel’s the most talented player I’ve ever coached,” Rivers said Tuesday after the Sixers beat the visiting Bucks.
Rivers has coached several Hall of Famers, including Kevin Garnett, and, of course, Giannis.
Rivers is wrong. He might be nuts, or he might be cagey.
Doc has a history of sending messages through the media, however ill-advised or awkward. Tuesday’s statement might be aimed at making Giannis even more eager to leave Wisconsin. It also might grease the skids for Embiid to come to Milwaukee. If so, good Doctor, tamper away.
Giannis and Embiid make about the same amount of money, but, thanks to the labyrinthine NBA collective bargaining agreement, Antetokounmpo needs the deal to be done by the trade deadline so he will be eligible for a four-year, $275 million extension this fall.
Morey needs the deal to be done by Thursday to save the franchise.
And, maybe, his job.