It remains to be seen how many moving parts the Philadelphia 76ers will have to take into account this offseason, but if there is one thing that is pretty clear, it is that the fate of the franchise will continue to lie on the shoulders of Joel Embiid.
After seeing the floor in just 19 games this season, the team’s outlook for 2025-26 remains nebulous. The 2023 Most Valuable Player underwent another knee procedure recently, but since then, the franchise has remained tight-lipped on their current plan for the superstar.
Moving forward with the offseason, the front office will have to be mindful of the inarguably strong possibility that the superstar fails to get back to his usual level of play due to his waning physical capacities. Embiid is now on the wrong side fo 30, and his play style is simply far from forgiving within the context of him still being the Batman in Philly.
The 76ers have exactly what the Suns want in a Kevin Durant trade
Given this trend with Embiid, the idea of actively advocating for a trade involving the superstar has become warranted, if not outright necessary. And one scenario that deserves more than just scant consideration is dealing him to the Suns for Kevin Durant, arguably the most realistically available star this summer.
Phoenix is rumored to be eyeing a center in return for Durant in order to finally address a pressing issue of theirs since shipping Deandre Ayton. In that case, Philadelphia can pleasure the Suns by offering Embiid in a straight-up swap.
Even at 36, Durant is still probably the most efficient, high-scolume scorer in the NBA. He drained more than 50 percent of his field goals for the 12th straight season despite Phoenix missing the playoffs, and remains one of the best all-around stars in the league.
Sure, Durant may not be the poster child of durability, but he is still miles ahead of Embiid in that respect. The 76ers may now be addressing their actual needs by eyeing Durant, but with a dynamic change, Nick Nurse and his crew should be able to find a solution.
On the flip side, a healthy Embiid could just be what the Suns need next to Devin Booker. Phoenix had a slew of overlaps skill set-wise with Durant leading the team, but that won’t happen with the superstar center.
At present, there is almost zero momentum on a possible Joel Embiid-Kevin Durant swap, but while we’re dishing out guessworks, such a trade would definitely compel some much needed not only for the Philadelphia 76ers, but also for the Phoenix Suns.