Joel Embiid has been in the headlines recently! The former league MVP was called out by teammate Tyrese Maxey for tardiness, and after some lackluster games, he’s finding himself in trade rumors.

Bovada released betting odds on, if Embiid was traded, where he would land. We’ll look at the top 7 choices and say if we could see it happening and if it would be a good fit.

It’s important to note Joel Embiid cannot be traded this season due to the contract he signed. So these are all looked at for the future, potentially next offseason when Embiid will be 31 years old.

7 – Los Angeles Lakers +750

The Lakers will always be linked to a superstar on the trade market, always. They’re the NBA’s Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees. Could Embiid go Hollywood?

Assuming LeBron James is nearing retirement and Anthony Davis is fragile, the Lakers could look to get a star to Los Angeles, and Embiid would be a superstar that would keep Laker fans excited. But considering James and Davis are both under contract for the 2025-26 season, this means a Big 3 with Embiid would eat up more than $161 million in three players. Again, with one aging and two dealing with injuries, this would be a recipe for disaster, ESPECIALLY if the Lakers had to give up a hot young talent like Dalton Knecht to complete the deal.

PASS.

6 – Miami Heat +650

The Heat, much like the Lakers, seem to be linked to stars all the time. Miami should look ahead to obtaining a new star soon, especially with an aging Jimmy Butler. This trade would most likely require Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier, along with one of Miami’s Big 3 (Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, or Bam Adebayo). Jimmy Butler would be the one I’d most likely trade from a business standpoint, but Butler likely doesn’t want to return to Philadelphia. Herro is playing his best ball, as I mentioned in my recent article, “Tyler Herro Becoming Miami’s Hero.” And Adebayo to Embiid, at this point in their careers, would likely be a downgrade Miami would make with hopes of winning a championship right away. Right now, this team isn’t there.

So if the team doesn’t want to part ways with Jimmy Butler in a Joel Embiid deal, this deal wouldn’t be worth moving Adebayo to the 4 and putting Embiid at the 5.

PASS.

5 – New Orleans Pelicans +550

The Pelicans are an interesting team. Of the teams thus far, I’ve put this in an online trade machine and it works. If Brandon Ingram is included in a sign-and-trade deal, the Pelicans could potentially ship Herbert Jones and Yves Missi along with them for Joel Embiid and Adem Bona, for cap space purposes. I’d assume the Pelicans would have to include at least two first-round picks in a deal for Embiid, but how would the Pelicans look afterwards?

New Orleans would run on Dejounte Murray at the point with a lot of man-power with Zion Williamson and Joel Embiid playing alongside together. I’m not entirely convinced Williamson and Embiid playing together would allow an offensive to jive the best, it may feel too cluttered in the paint. But for the Pelicans standpoint, if you’re losing Ingram anyways in free agency, including him in a sign-and-trade would be the most beneficial.

For the 76ers, acquiring Ingram would make for a lot of wing-shooters. Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, Paul George, Kelly Oubre, and Caleb Martin all play for Philadelphia and I doubt any, with the exception of Oubre, would be included in a trade. But acquiring Yves Missi and Herbert Jones could help suffice.

GO FOR IT.

4 – Dallas Mavericks +450

The only scenario I see for the Mavericks acquiring Embiid is if they move off the Kyrie Irving experiment. The Irving-Doncic duo led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals, and they have a solid team. The team’s acquired Klay Thompson with a championship pedigree, PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford are giving sold minutes, and Dereck Lively II is a promising rookie. I think any deal for the Mavericks would be a step backwards.

PASS.

3 – Brooklyn Nets +350

It is a very Brooklyn thing to trade everything for a star. We saw it with the Celtics regime, we saw it with the Kevin Durant era, and could we see it with Joel Embiid? The team, from a competitive standpoint, would need to make a splash for another star with Joel Embiid. Embiid alone couldn’t will the Nets to the playoffs, especially at this stage in his career where he wouldn’t be able to play many back-to-backs or commit to a lot of regular season games.

In the trade machine, the Nets only have Nic Claxton, Cameron Johnson, and 4 first-round picks to offer (including three this year) in a potential deal to land Joel Embiid. While the overhaul would be enough for the 76ers, it would set the Nets organization back (again) if they ever wanted to be taken seriously.

GO FOR IT if you’re Philadelphia ~ PASS if you’re Brooklyn.

2 – New York Knicks +300

The Knicks are buying and pushing hard for a championship right now, if the deals for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges were any indication. If the Knicks can’t get over the hump this year, they could look to alter their roster and maybe Joel Embiid would be a solid option. Financially it would be tough, but I’m assuming the deal would include Towns and some picks.

When you’re in a position like the Knicks are, making those minor tweaks and adjustments could be the difference maker. They have the roster, if kept in tact, that wouldn’t force Embiid to play 70+ games a season and give him the best chance to rest for the postseason. I think that’s worth giving up a few draft picks to get to the NBA Finals. And the return should be enough for Philadelphia to say yes.

GO FOR IT.

1 – Indiana Pacers +200

A sign-and-trade deal with Myles Turner, along with a package of TJ McConnell and Obi Toppin, would be enough for the Pacers to acquire Joel Embiid from the 76ers. The Pacers wouldn’t have to destroy their starting lineup since they’d still have Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and acquiring Embiid. It’s a really solid Big 3 in the Eastern Conference. So for the Pacers, it would make sense.

As for Philadelphia, that is the best return with players you can obtain to hopefully surround Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Jared McCain with as much help as possible to continue competing in the conference. I’m assuming Indiana would throw in a first-round pick to do it too, and if so, that’s icing on the cake.

GO FOR IT.

The Pacers seem to have the best scenario for both teams, so it’s no surprise Bovada has the Pacers as the favorites to get Embiid’s services, as early as this upcoming offseason.

Where should Embiid play? Should the 76ers and Embiid continue to trust the process, or make an amicable split? Let us know in the comments below.