Kawhi Leonard and Joel Embiid to team up? NBA insider suggest superstar duo could form new superteam
NBA Insider Brian Windhorst predicts that the Philadelphia 76ers could sign Kawhi Leonard next season.
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Joel Embiid (L), Kawhi Leonard (R) (Credits: NY Times and ESPN)
The situation between James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers continues to deteriorate over time. If Harden were to play out his contract next season, he would become a free agent, leaving the 76ers with a lot of cap space next season to sign a big free agent and put themselves in a position to be a serious contender for the championship.
Next year’s free agency class will feature stars like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Pascal Siakam, among others, allowing Philly to make a smart choice to add a key player that can, alongside Joel Embiid, help them win a chip. NBA Insider Brian Windhorst predicts that if PG and Kawhi don’t sign their contract extensions with the Clippers this season, Philly can swoop in and sign one of them next offseason. Windy said, “Philadelphia right now has positioned itself to be a big free-agent player. I guess Philadelphia could swoop in and go after [Paul George] or [Kawhi Leonard].”
It would be very interesting to see if they sign Kawhi, given the fact that he was the one who eliminated the 76ers in the second round of the 2019 playoffs with a game 7 buzzer beater. He then went on to win the championship, but the Sixers went through turmoil and gave up on Jimmy Butler, not offering him a max extension—a decision that has plagued them ever since.
Kawhi Leonard almost got traded to the Philadelphia 76ers before the 2019 season
Kawhi Leonard’s one-year stint with the Toronto Raptors is one of the best single-season performances by a player of all time. It is surprising to look back and see that he could have been traded to the Sixers, the same team against whom his most iconic play as a Raptor occurred.
Back in 2018, when Kawhi was unhappy with the San Antonio Spurs on how they handled his post-injury recovery, he was put on the trade market by the Spurs. Leonard was a sought-after player because he had already won a championship with the Spurs in 2014 and the Finals MVP, giving him championship experience that a team like Philly could utilize.
The 76ers were very interested in Kawhi, but the Spurs wanted three first-round picks and two young players in the deal. The 76ers refused to give away Markelle Fultz, Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons in the deal, which ultimately led to Kawhi joining the Raptors, and the rest is history.
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Ritvik Malhotra
(1085 Articles Published)