Oddsmakers think that Joel Embiid may have Empire State dreams if he pursues a move out of Philadelphia.
Online sportsbook SportsBetting.ag released odds on Monday for the reigning MVP Embiid’s next NBA team should he request a trade from the 76ers. The top listed team was an interesting one — the New York Knicks with +200 odds.
The other teams listed in the top five for Embiid were the Brooklyn Nets (+250), Dallas Mavericks (+350), New Orleans Pelicans (+450), and the Miami Heat (+550).
This comes amid some curious comments Embiid made earlier this week. The star seven-footer sent 76ers fans into a panic with what he said about winning championships. You can read what Embiid had to say here.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News also reports this week that Embiid has been mentioned around NBA circles for months as the Knicks’ ideal trade candidate. Bondy notes that Knicks president Leon Rose used to be Embiid’s agent at Creative Arts Agency (CAA).
The Knicks do have the set-up to pull off that kind of seismic move. Even assuming that Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle are their untouchables, the Knicks can offer a wealth of exciting talents who are 25 or younger (like RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, Mitchell Robinson, and Immanuel Quickley). The team also controls virtually all of their future draft picks at the moment and can offer Embiid a competitive infrastructure (having just won 47 games and made it to the second round as a very young team).
For now, the 29-year-old Embiid is about to begin a new four-year, $213 million contract with Philadelphia (with a player option in the final year). But the Knicks pursued another top NBA star earlier in the summer and may now be prepping their engines for a run at The Process.
