One of the longest off-season trade requests has finally ended with Damian Lillard leaving the Blazers for the Bucks. This comes after several failed requests, where he made his intention to join the Miami Heat known, though it appeared the Blazers were not ready to enter into discussion with the Heat.
However, the breaking of Damian Lillard’s trade deal with the Milwaukee Bucks has gotten the fans and enthusiasts to speculate over his influence on the Eastern Conference. This even made analyst Stephen Smith predict it might influence Joel Embiid’s trade demand before the season starts properly.
Stephen A. Smith claims Lillard’s trade might push Joel Embiid to move
Damian Lillard has finally been traded to the Milwaukee Bucks and not the Miami Heat as he wanted. He will be playing for the Bucks team in the upcoming season. Even though he didn’t get to be traded to the Heat as he wanted, joining forces with Giannis Antetokounmpo is a cause for concern for the other top teams in the Eastern Conference.
Stephen A. Smith on The Stephen A. Smith Show said this trade might push Joel Embiid to want to leave the Philadelphia 76ers. Stephen said, “Philly is in a world of trouble. Keep your eyes open for Joel Embiid. He might demand to be traded after this.”
The Lillard trade pushes the 76ers further from title contention in the East. The 76ers are afraid that another Bucks vs. Celtics matchup is on the way for the upcoming season. To compete with the Bucks and Celtics, they must make moves while also managing James Harden’s unhappiness. Joel Embiid could want to consider a different team if they can’t compete for a championship.
When was Joel Embiid drafted to the 76ers?
The current NBA MVP, Joel Embiid was drafted by the 76ers on June 26, 2014 as the third overall pick. The former Kansas center’s time with the 76ers began with that draft, and his selection was considered a key one for the team because it meant they had added a promising young player to their roster.
Something happened on the day Embiid was drafted. People thought that he was to be the top pick, but he was chosen as third in the draft. The reason behind him being the third pick is because of a foot injury he had when he was at the University of Kansas. Despite the issue, the 76ers saw his potential and still selected him.
He missed the first two seasons because of that injury. The big fella made his debut in the 2016–17 season and made his presence known on court. In 31 games during his first season, he averaged 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks.
Embiid has now gone on to average a blistering 27.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, assists of 3.4, and 31.8 minutes over 394 games he played in his career, starting in all the games. What are your thoughts on Joel Embiid’s future with the 76ers? Share with us below.
