The Philadelphia 76ers are stuck with Joel Embiid, despite the former NBA MVP’s lack of fitness.
The Philadelphia 76ers have struggled in the 2024-25 NBA season, after an apparently successful offseason in which they signed superstar Paul George.
While George’s problems are one thing, the team’s main concern has been Joel Embiid’s continuous absence.
Embiid has been in and out of the lineup because of a knee issue. As a result, he has only played 17 games this season, and the 76ers are unable to deal their 30-year-old superstar.
Bobby Marks on whether the 76ers will make Joel Embiid available for trade.
The 76ers crowd was in despair after learning that Embiid would need another knee operation to get healthy.
As a result, many fans are demanding that the 76ers sell him, but ESPN’s Bobby Marks recently outlined why that is not an option.
Marks explained: “They are married to this gang. To be honest, if they ever wanted to deal Joel Embiid, I don’t think he would pass his physical. “This is where they are right now.”
When healthy, Embiid is unquestionably one of the league’s finest players. However, Joel has always been prone to injury.
The issue has gotten considerably worse in recent years, with him playing only 56 games since the start of the 2023-24 NBA season.
Furthermore, the bad state of Embiid’s knees is no secret, so no team would risk dealing for a player who makes occasional appearances and is due to earn an average contract of $64.3 million over the next three seasons.
Joel Embiid’s probable trade is anticipated to go similarly to Mark Williams’ disastrous transaction.
The Los Angeles Lakers created news by trading for Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets. However, the Lakers promptly vetoed the deal after Williams failed the physical.
While the Hornets have criticized the Lakers’ decision, the 17-time NBA champions have already received their players and assets back.
Williams has also battled to stay fit due to several ailments, and if Embiid becomes available on the trade market, NBA teams will be concerned about the same outcome.
So, as Marks stated, the 76ers are stuck with their existing roster, which is just 20-34 on the season.
