Joel Embiid enters the 2026-27 season healthier than he has been in years, but that hasn't stopped trade speculation from following the Philadelphia 76ers center into training camp. While the organization insists Embiid is a central piece of its new superteam built around LeBron James, outside analysts and rumor mills keep floating scenarios that would send the former MVP elsewhere before the season even tips off.
A Healthier Embiid Heading Into a New Era
Joel Embiid is healthy and "extra motivated" with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown now on his side, according to Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, who added that the former league MVP is "ready to go." "Joel is great," Gansey said in an interview with ESPN's Kevin Negandhi that aired Thursday. "This is like the first summer I think in a while that he's been healthy, so he's been in the gym working out. He's been lifting weights. He's extra motivated."
The optimism comes after a brutal run of injuries. Embiid has averaged 49 games a season over 10 seasons, and last season he played 38 games while dealing with right hip problems, left knee management and appendicitis. This time around, he has stayed on the floor for all of training camp and the preseason, a rarity in recent years.
What Maxey Is Saying About the New-Look Sixers
Guard Tyrese Maxey said Thursday that having a healthy Joel Embiid "changes everything" for the Sixers. Maxey, who has played alongside Embiid for six seasons, says that experience gives him an edge in knowing where Embiid likes to catch the ball and where he wants guards to cut. "If you haven't been playing with a big like Joel, there's not many. It's very hard, very difficult to learn certain things," said Maxey. "...So, with him being here, we can drill those things over and over. It's been what, like two, three weeks that we've had just drilling and drilling. That's a good thing."
That extra time matters because Embiid is adjusting to new teammates. Major additions including LeBron James and Jaylen Brown need to develop chemistry with Embiid this season. The front office hopes a full camp together will smooth over the kind of in-game learning curve that has slowed previous seasons.
Why Trade Rumors Won't Go Away
Despite the on-court optimism, Embiid's name keeps surfacing in trade conversations. With the NBA's 2026-27 season set to tip off, trade speculation is already building, and CBS Sports ranked Washington Wizards forward Anthony Davis at No. 1 and Embiid at No. 2 on its list of top trade candidates for the upcoming season. That placement, from a national outlet rather than a fan speculation piece, has kept the story alive even as Philadelphia opens the year with championship aspirations.
The Anthony Davis Connection
Much of the chatter traces back to the summer, when James signed with Philadelphia. One name who continued to be tied to James was Washington Wizards star Anthony Davis, with plenty of speculation that James was waiting for a team to strike a blockbuster trade for Davis before making his decision. Debate shows picked up the thread as well: on the Game Over show, ESPN analyst Max Kellerman raised the idea of trading Embiid, telling Rich Paul, "I don't think they can keep Embiid."
LeBron James' Actual Stance
James himself has pushed back on the idea that he wants Embiid moved. Reporting indicated it does not appear that James is pushing for Embiid to be traded, with Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor reporting that James is "eager" to play alongside Embiid, and that the big man had a major role in recruiting the NBA legend to Philly. "So I do not think a Joel Embiid for Anthony Davis trade is on the table right now. I don't think so at all. Ultimately, I think with Joel Embiid, the guy is the face of your franchise," O'Connor said.
Context on the Wizards' side has also cooled the loudest version of the rumor. There has been no sign that the Wizards are willing to trade Davis. That hasn't stopped new proposals from circulating in NBA media this week, with at least one fresh scenario floated involving a different former Lakers champion, though the Sixers front office has given no indication it is actively shopping its franchise center.
What Comes Next for Philadelphia
For now, the Sixers appear focused on building chemistry rather than engineering a blockbuster. Gansey said the team would decide the best course of action for Embiid once the schedule was released, adding, "We'll sit down, talk to him, talk to performance staff, talk to [coach] Nick [Nurse] and try to figure out a plan. These guys want to play every game, but we got to map it out and see what's best for him and the team."
That cautious, game-by-game approach to managing Embiid's workload will likely define Philadelphia's season as much as any roster move. Like other stars swept up in recent trade speculation across the NFL this week or the chatter surrounding another star's uncertain future in baseball, Embiid's situation shows how quickly rumor and reality can diverge once a season actually begins. The Sixers' first real test will come once the games start counting, when health management finally gives way to results on the floor.