The Dallas Mavericks taught the NBA a valuable lesson during the 2024-2025 season: There are rarely ever any untouchable players. It seemed Luka Doncic was in Dallas to stay for most of, if not all, of his NBA career. The Mavericks shockingly traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers.

That deal inspired a list predicting the next five stars to hit the NBA’s trade block put together by Bleacher Report. To no really no surprise, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is on it.

“In light of Embiid telling ESPN’s Lisa Salters that he may need another surgery and long recovery on his left knee, it’d be understandable if Morey and the Sixers decide to take drastic action this summer,” BR’s Grant Hughes wrote.

Since entering the NBA, Joel Embiid’s health was a concern from the jump. It took two seasons for him to make his debut, and when he finally did, his rookie season ended after 31 games.

Despite the injury concerns, Embiid grew to be one of the NBA’s most dominant players. For multiple seasons, he was an MVP finalist and took home the trophy in 2022-2023. For seven seasons in a row, he was an NBA All-Star.

However, the health issues became even more concerning as he approached age 30. Last season, Embiid played in 39 games, missing a large chunk of the season due to a knee injury, which required surgery. Once again, he had an unhealthy playoff run.

This year, Embiid planned to be on a strict injury management plan due to last season’s knee injury. Swelling and soreness in the knee caused multiple long stretches of absences. At the All-Star break, Embiid had just 17 appearances under his belt this year.

The records will tell you the Sixers are much better when Embiid is on the floor rather than off, but his unreliable health has left the Sixers in a tough position lately. Last season, the Sixers had to go through the NBA Play-In Tournament to make the playoffs as a seventh seed. This season, the Sixers are fighting for the final spot in the Tournament, surrounded by squads in a rebuilding position.

The idea of Embiid being on the block might not be as far-fetched as it once was, but it’s still doubtful the Sixers will consider moving on from their homegrown superstar unless he requests it. Embiid has a long history of injury concerns, and the Sixers still didn’t hesitate to put a $193 million extension on the table to keep him around through 2029.

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