Joel Embiid on the deadline: ‘Hopefully I don’t get traded’
As the NBA trade deadline approaches, nearly every player in the league could, potentially, be on the block. However, among those that are the least likely to be traded, Philadelphia 76ers power forward Joel Embiid is near the very top.
Still, that didn’t stop Embiid from making a tongue-in-cheek comment when asked his thoughts on the looming deadline.
“Hopefully I don’t get traded. You never know,” Embiid said as reporters laughed at the notion. “Nobody’s untouchable in this league, so hopefully I’m here for a long time or the rest of my career.”
Embiid never even cracked a smile as he answered the question even though he knows full well he won’t be on the move come Thursday.
But the joke, as it were, was more of a deflection. Embiid had previously been asked if he has met with 76ers management to offer input on who they should trade away or who they should attempt to bring in. He twice said it was none of his business as reporters continued to pile, ultimately reverting to the laughable notion that he, too, could be on the block.
Embiid, of course, isn’t going anywhere in 2019 or for the foreseeable future. He’s the face of their franchise and among the best all-around talents in the league.
