Joel Embiid Rumors: 76ers Star Hasn’t Asked for Trade Amid James Harden Buzz

Given James Harden’s very public desire to be traded, there has been some speculation that Joel Embiid’s discontent might possibly follow.

The Sixers, after all, have been a revolving door of stars, coaches and executives during his career and haven’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs in the process.

But for now, however, the Philadelphia 76ers star reportedly remains content to stick with the only organization he’s known.

According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, the defending MVP “has not (repeat: not) asked to be traded. If/when that happens is when the Harden situation truly becomes a crisis for Morey and the Sixers. … It bears repeating that the Sixers aren’t trading Embiid unless Embiid forces them into it. Nothing close to that has happened—yet.”

You could forgive Embiid for growing weary with the Sixers given the circumstances of the post-Process era, however.

He was drafted by controversial former general manager Sam Hinkie, with speculation that he was essentially forced out of the position because it wasn’t happy with his tank-happy approach to team building, dubbed by fans as “The Process.”

Embiid famously then took on the nickname “The Process” in honor of Hinkie.

There was the decision to trade multiple assets to move up to No. 1 in the draft and select Markelle Fultz in 2017, whose short time in Philadelphia was marked by the sudden change in his shooting form and struggles taking jump shots.

There was former president of basketball operations and general manager Bryan Colangelo’s fall from grace and eventual ouster after his wife admitted to running burner accounts on social media that were, in part, critical of Embiid.

There was the decision in the 2018 draft to trade the No. 10 overall pick—which the team had used to select Villanova star Mikal Bridges—to the Phoenix Suns for the No. 16 pick and a 2021 first-round selection. The No. 16 pick was used to select Zhaire Smith, while the future first was eventually traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in a package that landed the team Tobias Harris.

Bridges has gone on to be an All-Star, while Smith broke his foot the summer he was drafted, nearly died after having an allergic reaction to food he ate, saw limited playing time with the Sixers and hasn’t played an NBA game since the 2019-20 season.

There was the pivot to a more veteran core of Jimmy Butler and Harris around Embiid and Ben Simmons in the 2018-19 season, which led to a second round series against the Toronto Raptors that ended in Game 7 when Kawhi Leonard hit an improbable game-winner. Much to Embiid’s chagrin, Butler sought an exit in the offseason and was moved to the Miami Heat in a sign-and-trade deal.

That summer, the Sixers added Al Horford and Josh Richardson, choosing to go with a big, defensive-minded team. But given Simmons’ ongoing shooting hesitations, the team struggled with floor spacing and was swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics.

That ended Brett Brown’s era as head coach and Doc Rivers was hired, alongside Daryl Morey joining as president of basketball operations. That group earned the top seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs but was shockingly upset in the second round by the young Atlanta Hawks, most memorable for Simmons’ complete disappearance on the offensive end.

The following summer, Simmons sought to leave the team and was eventually traded to the Brooklyn Nets in the deal that brought Harden to Philadelphia. The Simmons-Embiid relationship had long been scrutinized and their playing styles were never a natural fit. Still, optimism had been high around the pairing given their immense upsides.

But stylistically, Harden was a far better running mate for Embiid. After consecutive second-round losses and reported conflict over Harden’s contractual worth, however, the veteran point guard has sought a change in scenery and publicly called Morey a liar, while Rivers was replaced by Nick Nurse.

So yeah, it’s been a lot. The counter to all of it has been that Embiid has been genuinely adored by Philadelphia during his time in the city and has emerged as one of the NBA’s biggest superstars, culminating in an MVP last season.

But he’s also 29 and the window for his prime years is narrowing. Harden’s eventual departure is unlikely to bring back a superstar for Embiid to pair with, and the 2023-24 season may be a wash for his title hopes.

Perhaps the Sixers will reset with both Harden and Tobias Harris off the books and the cap space to potentially attract a star running mate for Embiid. But it’s hard to justify giving up a year of his prime, the underlying subtext to the ongoing Harden saga.