This proposed trade moves Joel Embiid to the Houston Rockets.

This summer, there has been a lot of speculation about superstar Joel Embiid potentially getting traded. There’s no doubt that due to uncertainty surrounding James Harden’s future, the Philadelphia 76ers are in a state of instability. It is entirely possible that the team will decide to tear things down and rebuild.

There are already teams that are willing to make a move for Joel Embiid were he to become available. The Houston Rockets are the most recent Western Conference team to be linked to Joel Embiid, and they have the abundance of young talent needed to make a trade possible. Here is a potential Houston Rockets trade offer for Joel Embiid.

Houston Rockets Receive: Joel Embiid

Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Kevin Porter Jr., Jeff Green, 2027 First-Round Pick (HOU), 2029 First-Round Pick (HOU)

This offer from the Houston Rockets would offer the Philadelphia 76ers a number of talented young players, and future draft compensation. If the Houston Rockets wanted to, they could easily outbid every team for Joel Embiid. Here is why this move would work well for both teams.

The Houston Rockets Get A Franchise Superstar

The Houston Rockets have been without a franchise superstar since James Harden’s departure via trade in 2021. This trade would land them a top-tier center in Joel Embiid, and he is someone the team could truly build around. The team has made a big effort to get better this summer by signing Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, and it is clear that owner Tillman Fertitta wants to win immediately. Joel Embiid allows them that opportunity.

This season, Joel Embiid averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, winning the 2022-23 MVP award and the scoring title. He is a dominant big man that can be the team’s leading scorer while also providing solid rim protection on the other end of the floor. On the Houston Rockets, Embiid would be in a good situation, surrounded by players such as Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet who could help him compete for a championship. The franchise also has plenty of draft capital to move trade and get Joel Embiid the pieces he needs.

In this trade package, the Houston Rockets would send out five players and two first-round picks. That should be enough to get a trade done. If the Philadelphia 76ers are trading Joel Embiid, that means they are rebuilding, and the team clearly needs parts to build around for the future.

Adding a player of Joel Embiid’s caliber is one of the best moves the Houston Rockets could do this summer to become a competitive team. Joel Embiid would make the Rockets a contender in the Western Conference, and perhaps a fresh start would be good for him as well at this stage of his career.

The Philadelphia 76ers Could Get A Huge Trade Package

When a team trades their superstar-level player, the thing that they want the most is first-round picks and high-level prospects that can develop into stars. This trade would get the 76ers both of those things.

Alperen Sengun would clearly be one of the main pieces in this trade, and adding him would get the 76ers a ready-made player that can immediately start at the C. This season, Sengun averaged 14.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He is one of the most versatile offensive players on the Rockets right now, and Sengun is clearly a big man that can do a little bit of everything. Alperen Sengun’s most valuable quality will definitely be passing, and if the 76ers make him a focal point of their offense, he could easily develop into a star.

The other high-level prospect that the Philadelphia 76ers would get in this deal is Amen Thompson, who was drafted at No. 4 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. He is an athletic wing player, the sort that the 76ers have missed for the last few years. Thompson already has elite vision and athleticism, and his slashing ability is clearly his main weapon. If Amen Thompson ever develops a jump shot, he could become a star-level player for the 76ers.

The two remaining prospects in this trade offer would be Kevin Porter Jr. and Tari Eason. Porter Jr. profiles as a solid sixth man coming off the bench, averaging 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game. He is a good offensive player, capable of scoring on all three levels and providing some playmaking. Meanwhile, Eason has the makings of a 3 and D player due to his athleticism and burgeoning jump shot.

The rest of this deal involves Jeff Green’s deal being used for salary-matching purposes, and two future first-round picks from the Rockets heading the 76ers’ way. This trade would essentially give the 76ers a ready-made team if they move Joel Embiid, with plenty of young talent to develop. That would likely be appealing to the 76ers and would allow them to be relatively competitive immediately.

This Trade Could Be A Win-Win Move For Both Teams

This is a trade that could be beneficial to both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Houston Rockets. The Rockets would immediately become a great team in the Eastern Conference, and could potentially win a series or two next year after the Embiid trade. The ceiling of the team would obviously depend on what other moves the Rockets would make to help Joel Embiid lead them to win the championship.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers would enter a post-Joel Embiid era, creating a new young core that could eventually develop into a special team. Building around Tyrese Maxey, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson is far from being the worst start to a new era, and this deal is the right one to help them win in the future.

It remains to be seen if this deal does end up coming to pass. Perhaps when Joel Embiid is made available, we will hear more about the Houston Rockets’ interest in the center and the extent of what they want to give up for him.