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Sixers All-Star big man Joel Embiid
The Golden State Warriors face a lot of uncertainty entering the 2025-26 season, specifically due to the contract situation of Jonathan Kuminga and the lack of a quality center and a bench. As of August 19, the Warriors had only nine players with guaranteed roster spots, due to a highly inactive offseason.
Could the Bay Area franchise flip its fortunes with a blockbuster trade? Sports Illustrated’s Dave Holcomb floated a Warriors trade pitch that would see the team land former MVP Joel Embiid in exchange for Kuminga and some draft assets.
Warriors would receive: Joel Embiid
Sixers would receive: Jonathan Kuminga (sign-and-trade), Trayce Jackson-Davis, Buddy Hield, 2028 first-round pick and 2030 first-round pick (unprotected)
The idea behind the trade stems from a report from NBA insider Brett Siegel that suggests Embiid may not be ready for training camp due to a setback in his recovery from a knee injury, and that the 76ers regret giving him a contract extension last year.
How the Trade Helps Both Teams
As such, the 76ers may be incentivized to move on from Embiid and start anew with Kuminga, a player with high upside, and two unprotected first-round draft picks.
“…Embiid goes through injury issues every season,” wrote Holcomb. “He played in 19 games during 2024-25 and just 39 contests the season prior. He has never dressed for more than 68 games in a single regular season during his career.
“If the 76ers don’t see Embiid returning to his MVP-level play from 2022-23, then the team should consider moving on and trading the 31-year-old when he still has a lot of value on the market.”
The Warriors, meanwhile, may be willing to take the risks associated with Embiid, given their aging roster’s limited timeline to pursue an NBA championship. All three of the Warriors’ stars, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler III, are over 35.
“Acquiring Embiid would come with a lot of risk,” argued Holcomb. “The Warriors make arguably the most logical sense to be a trade destination, though, because of the organization’s recent championship pedigree and the age of the roster.
“Embiid would start to decline around the same time Golden State is going to have to begin rebuilding anyway. So, they probably don’t mind Embiid’s age as much as other teams might. The power forward would also be a force in Golden State’s frontcourt if he returns fully healthy.”
Reuniting Butler and Embiid
The proposed Warriors trade would also result in Butler and Embiid, formerly teammates on the 76ers, reuniting in their pursuit of an elusive NBA title.
Both stars have spoken extensively about their fondness for one another and why they were upset with the 76ers front office for letting Butler walk as a free agent in 2019.
“I talk to Joel every day,” Butler said in May 2022 before the Heat-Sixers playoff series.
“Even before this series. That’s my guy. That’s a brother to me,” Butler said of Embiid.
“We know that. It’s a privilege to play against him. Obviously, to be on the same team with him as well as I was in the past, but damn, you want to play against the best and to have an opportunity to beat the best, and hold that over one another’s head for years to come. After basketball, that’s still going to be my guy.”
Incidentally, Embiid pushed the 76ers front office to acquire Butler at the 2025 NBA trade deadline when the Heat made their former franchise star available. According to Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill, the Embiid “wanted a reunion with Butler” and “pushed for it,” but the 76ers and Heat could not make a deal happen.
Butler would be traded to the Warriors in a deal centered around Andrew Wiggins.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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