Early in his career, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was known for his social media. He would regularly troll opponents after big performances, or just post things to stir the pot. In recent years, he’s calmed down with his internet presence. That said, he recently hopped online to pay respect to a tragic death in the pop culture community.
Earlier this week, it was announced that Akira Toriyama passed away at the age of 68. He was a manga artist who was most known for creating the hit series Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. The series was first created in the late 1980s, and is still a favorite among anime fans to this day.
Following the news of his death, many people flocked to social media to pay respect to Toriyama. Among those was Embiid, who posted RIP with a couple crying face emojis. With the post was also a gif of Goku, the main character of Dragon Ball.
When Embiid isn’t being active on social media, he is continuing to rehab the knee injury he suffered against the Golden State Warriors. It remains unclear when he’ll be back on the court, but the reigning MVP remains hopefully to play again this season.
Before getting injured, Embiid looked well on his way to winning another MVP trophy. In the 34 games he appeared in, the Sixers star averaged 35.3 PPG, 11.3 RPG, and 5.7 APG.
Without the services of their best player, the Sixers are doing everything they can to try and stay afloat. They’ve dipped slightly in the standings, falling to seventh place with a 35-28 record.
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4 76ers at risk of being traded this summer
These four players are at risk of being traded by the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason.
The Philadelphia 76ers have most of their players approaching free agency this offseason, the main reason behind their huge cap space heading into next season. The franchise is expected to be the main player this summer, owing to their financial flexibility and in-house assets.
Having said that, their outgoing players can still provide value to the team, such as in direct trades or in sign-and-trade scenarios for potentially hotshot acquisitions. Here are four 76ers who fit the bill and could be traded this summer.
1. Paul Reed
Paul Reed was a promising prospect for the 76ers, with head coach Nick Nurse particularly having big plans for the young big man, but it’s safe to say at this juncture that the franchise simply does not have the foundational patience to invest in non win-now commodities as hinted by their current struggles trying to hold down the fort without Joel Embiid.
As a result, Reed, who was a non-guaranteed deal for the next two seasons, could find himself in the trading block. Philly can guarantee his contract for 2024-25 and try to extract assets from another team who may want to take a flier on him.
Still just 24 years old, Reed still has a lot of time to prove his worth in the league. His motor, positional flexibility, and physicality should be more than intriguing as a project piece for the younger clubs in the league.
2. Tobias Harris
Moving onto the sign-and-trade fellows, the outgoing Tobias Harris could still be a sizeable vector for the 76ers to net some assets in the offseason. Depending on the situation, his contract could help facilitate a big sign-and-trade for a star or a bevy of players whom the front office could deem desirable to make a play for.
The 76ers passed up on trading Harris before the deadline, and it could be attributed to the possibility that the front office can dump him this summer as a multi-functional release valve for subsequent deals.
The upcoming crop of free agents tout some big names whose statuses depend on whether they exercise their respective player options. In those instances, Philadelphia can sign Harris to an appropriate contract and ship him out to facilitate a deal and incentivize teams to let go of their players.
3. De’Anthony Melton
Another player who could be an appealing sign-and-trade target for teams, albeit in a less grandiose sense, is De’Anthony Melton, who has stringed together a solid two-year tenure in Philadelphia since getting traded from Memphis.
Philly will likely show interest in re-signing Melton, a very reliable three-and-D guard who plays seamlessly as a complement to Tyrese Maxey in the backcourt, but his injury concerns and the team having more pressing needs could force them to take another route when it comes to the veteran.
The 76ers own his Bird rights, so they can sign him to a considerable deal, but they could also leverage this and endorse him as a sweetener in sign-and-trade scenarios, especially for teams who could use a reliable rotation cog who can be a spot starter when needed.
4. Buddy Hield
One of the most interesting free agency storylines to follow in the offseason is what the 76ers do with Buddy Hield. He has impressed to a great extent since arriving to the team after the trade deadline, but there is legitimate concern about the sharpshooter being a mere half-season rental.
Retaining Hield won’t be a thrifty proposition. He has a pretty in-demand skill set while being elite at what he does, and teams could always use an efficient volume three-point shooter who can act as a secondary playmaker. The 76ers have a perfect role for him as the designated gunner to complement Embiid and Maxey, but if they follow up on their ambitious offseason plans, Hield could jump ship.
Philly didn’t exactly spend a ton for a flight risk, but at all costs, it makes much more sense for the front office to secure him with a new contract and just flip him if need be as a salary-matcher and the nucleus of a return package for a big name they’re looking to add.
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