Could the LA Clippers pry Joel Embiid from 76ers

Joel Embiid is once again taking in the sites of the NBA playoffs a bit earlier than he would like. With the Philadelphia 76ers being sent home in the second round thanks to the Miami Heat, most if not all of the blame should fall squarely onto the shoulders of James Harden.

At 32, most players are considered to be in their prime. In the case of Harden, he is essentially a shell of his former great self. Embiid will never say it out loud but a part of him must be regretting the trade that ushered Harden through Philadelphia’s doors in the first place.

Harden, in all likelihood, will remain in Philadelphia but Embiid certainly can’t be happy about his current situation. Could the LA Clippers swoop in and snag a disgruntled Embiid? While unlikely, the Clippers have the assets to get it done.

Should the Clippers trade Kawhi Leonard for Joel Embiid?

Although currently mired in cap space hell, the Clippers have two-star players that would likely entice the 76ers into a trade. Kawhi Leonard, a bonafide number one option and future Hall of Famer, will be looking to re-establish himself as one of the best players in the league. Alongside Paul George, however, the two have failed to emerge past the second round of the postseason.

Their perimeter-based duo, while amongst the league’s best, could be viewed as repetitive. But if the Clippers were willing to dangle one of their All-Stars in Philadelphia’s direction, who should they be willing to part with?

Leonard, undoubtedly, is the better of the two. But while he figures to bounce back nicely from his ACL injury, Leonard has always been a number option, something that could ultimately clash with Embiid, a back-to-back runner up for league MVP. George, on the other hand, has spent the majority of his career as the second in command.

In consecutive seasons in Oklahoma, George played second fiddle behind Russell Westbrook and excelled. During the 2018-19 season, George, while still playing behind Westbrook, finished third in the MVP voting thanks to his 28 points per game. With Leonard by his side, George has averaged 21.5 and 23.3 points respectively.

George has repeatedly taken a backseat to his superstar counterparts with little to no issue. With Embiid onboard, George would continue to accept his secondary role as a scorer while putting up All-Star level production. Clipper fans, however, have grown to love Leonard and his two-way capabilities. But his inability to get them over that championship hump, coupled with his aloof personality at times, make Leonard somewhat expendable if Embiid were available.

Most importantly, both players are currently playing on similar contracts. Over the next three seasons, Leonard will pocket roughly $45 million. As for Embiid, he’ll take home $41 million over that exact same time frame.

Losing Leonard will be a tough pill to swallow but adding Embiid while pairing him with a terrific secondary player on the wing, which appears to be a winning formula.