Joel Embiid could be the missing piece the Hornets build around. He’s worth pursuing
If Joel Embiid’s relationship with the Philadelphia 76ers frays to a point the Sixers listen to trade offers, the Charlotte Hornets should pounce.
Make an offer. Make a big offer. Probably offer more than they think they should to accomplish a trade.
My point is Embiid is that rare NBA star/borderline superstar who could be available in his prime with years left on his contract. The Hornets are doing some good work this season developing talent. But for that to matter, those young, complementary players must orbit sooner or later around a great player — a difference-maker — and Embiid is a worthy gamble to be that.
Embiid appeared to use social media recently to blow off steam concerning how Philadelphia treats its pro athletes. He posted a picture of himself on Instagram, silencing a frustrated Sixers home crowd by hitting a 3-pointer. He added the caption, “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villian.”
That’s a quote from the “Dark Knight” Batman movies, suggesting regardless of good intentions, you might end up maligned. Embiid’s former Sixers teammate, Jimmy Butler, responded by suggesting if Embiid needs a change, Butler’s new team, the Miami Heat, would welcome him.
Frustration can blow over. The underachieving Sixers might have a playoff run that keeps that core together. Also, there are constant examples of athletes being melodramatic on social media that don’t result in substance.
But Hornets owner Michael Jordan has said repeatedly that his charge to the franchise’s basketball staff is to search every day for improvement. The Hornets need a star at any position, after losing point guard Kemba Walker to the Boston Celtics, but an impact big man would be particularly helpful.
A hub
Once Walker left, the Hornets did the right thing pivoting to youth. This season has expedited the development of several guys who should be on the next playoff team, particularly Devonte Graham and rookie P.J. Washington.
However, there is still no one on this roster I’d envision as the best player on a team that could advance deep into the playoffs — a hub to the wheel. Embiid is that kind of talent. Such impactful players seldom come close to being available in trade. If that happens, offer draft picks, a young player or two, salary-cap relief and whatever else keeps the Sixers front office on the phone.
NBA executives talk about the importance of “controllable contracts,” as in you would only give up a fortune in trade if you know the star you’re acquiring can’t just walk away. Embiid’s contract has three seasons beyond this one. They’re expensive, at an average of more than $31 million per season in salary, but this summer the Hornets will finally be far enough under the salary cap to make something big happen.
“Big Fish”
General manager Mitch Kupchak has said he doesn’t envision the Hornets being big players in free-agency next summer, despite the potential to be $25 million or more below the projected salary cap of $115 million per team.
As Kupchak told me in September, it’s unrealistic to think the Hornets could recruit and sign a “Big Fish” — a difference-making star — in the first year of a makeover.
The other ways to add a star is to draft one or trade for one. The draft lottery is unpredictable and developing rookies is typically time-consuming before major impact. I’ve heard Jordan say trades are the most reliable means of acquiring talent because you have a body of work to evaluate and you inherit a contract that provides cost-certainty.
Of course, pursuing Embiid would be a long shot. But when Kupchak was in the Los Angeles Lakers front office, that franchise signed Shaquille O’Neal as a free agent and traded for Paul Gasol — transactions that ended in championships.
Kupchak has made several smart little decisions, mostly draft picks, that have moved this rebuild forward. Little moves won’t accomplish much in the absence of a big move.
Embiid would scream “big move.”
This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 6:34 PM.
