Report: Knicks Were Interested In Trading For Joel Embiid Before Getting Mikal Bridges And Karl-Anthony Towns

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the New York Knicks were interested in trading for Joel Embiid before getting Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. 

Knicks president Leon Rose used to be Embiid’s agent at CAA. 

“Once upon a time, Philly presumably could have extracted every draft pick that New York possessed before it splurged on trades for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns,” Fischer wrote. “The Knicks were always the rival threat, sources said, that Sixers officials knew was waiting to pounce if Embiid ever reached the trade market. Now? With four years to go on his contract after this one, Embiid has unfortunately looked like a shell of himself. A player option for the 2028-29 season is scheduled to pay out a whopping $69 million when Embiid is 34.

“A wide-reaching poll of league executives is hardly necessary to understand that you would struggle to find a more burdensome contract to move at the minute. All the recent NBA Trade Season chatter regarding Bradley Beal was a pretty clear indicator of how front offices look at an underperforming former All-Star in his 30s with multiple years of annual salary exceeding $50 million still on the books. Embiid turns 31 on March 16.”

Embiid’s left knee is nowhere near close to 100%. The NBA star may need surgery again. 

A Kansas product, Embiid has appeared in only 19 games this season for the Philadelphia 76ers. He’s averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 44.4% from the field, 29.9% from beyond the arc and 88.2% from the free-throw line. 

The Knicks dodged a bullet by not trading for Embiid. Bridges and Towns have played well for New York alongside Jalen Brunson. The team is 38-20, good for third place in the Eastern Conference standings. 

The Sixers are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 20-38. If the season ended today, Philadelphia wouldn’t even be in the NBA play-in tournament.