Joel Embiid to the New Orleans Pelicans? Not as Crazy as it Sounds

The New Orleans Pelicans could have a chance to put together the best frontcourt in the NBA, but is Joel Embiid worth the price tag?

The Philadelphia 76ers were having a disappointing season before the hiatus, which means the trade rumors will be flying. Recently one of them landed on the New Orleans Pelicans.

Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report included the New Orleans Pelicans as a potential destination for Joel Embiid in his article “7 Trade Packages and Landing Spots for NBA’s Top Offseason Trade Targets.”

This came after a report from Tim Bontemps of ESPN said that if Philadelphia does try to shake things up, it will be Embiid who is moved and not Ben Simmons.

This is an interesting development, as Philadelphia has long said that both Embiid and Simmons were part of their future plans.

If the 76ers were to decide to move on from Embiid, the New Orleans Pelicans make some sense, at least superficially.

Not only are they one of few teams that have the combination of young talent and draft assets the 76ers will likely want in any Embiid trade, but vice president of basketball operations, David Griffin, is a known fan of the Philadelphia center.

Pairing Embiid with Zion Williamson is a tantalizing possibility, but it would likely require a sign-and-trade of All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, which may not be palatable to the Pelicans.

Embiid is certainly a unique talent and probably the best big man in the game. It would be the type of “all in” move that could make the New Orleans Pelicans a title contender, but it wouldn’t come without some risk.

The New Orleans Pelicans have the best young core in the NBA and were just starting to scratch the surface of their potential and development.

But guys like Embiid don’t come around very often, so the Pelicans would have to seriously consider it if an offer were on the table.

Let’s break down this trade from the New Orleans Pelicans’ point of view.