Joel Embiid cracking the door open to the possibility of leaving Philadelphia?

Clutch Points: “I didn’t realize he stepped that big ass foot on my head. Luckily, he didn’t land his weight on it… That flopping rule, who knows what happens.” Grant Williams on Joel Embiid falling on him during the playoffs. (via Run Your Race, @TidalLeague) pic.twitter.com/LRYKSsnvaQ -via Twitter @ClutchPointsApp / July 21, 2023

Embiid has told people close to him for years that he values the idea of a one-team legacy. There is a long way to go between vague comments about the mystical land of “anywhere else” and an official trade request. But this is, however, why the Knicks have monitored the situation with Embiid in Philadelphia. New York has played a balancing act ever since Leon Rose took over the front office in 2020. It has been built with the idea of trading for, not signing, a star, but it also hasn’t been trigger-happy. The Knicks went aggressively after Mitchell last summer, but clearly, they had a ceiling on what they were willing to offer. If they didn’t, Mitchell would be in his home state right now, not Ohio. -via The Athletic / July 20, 2023

Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, one who is never known to mince words, called out Embiid on his podcast “Gil’s Arena”: The problem with him is going to always be he does enough individually for us not to look at him…32, that (expletive) sounds cool. I mean, it’s amazing. Now if I said all right, how about this? Let me take Greek’s (Giannis Antetokounmpo) energy, give it to Embiid. What the (expletive) does he average? Oh, 40. Then what the (expletive) are you happy with? 32. Do more. Why the (expletive) are you happy with 32? If I give him someone else’s energy, that he doesn’t have and say, alright, what would he be? Oh! The (expletive) would average 40 and this! That’s what I’m saying. He needs the average to get this team to another level. Like when he—and this is the problem. When he was disrespected about the (Nikola) Jokic and he gave the man 50. That’s what it took for you to just say ‘Alright, I’m about to be done’. Why the (expletive) you not doing that every (expletive) game. If you’re talking about winning a championship, that’s what you’re going to have to do Superman…For me, and looking at the teams he had with his talent, unstoppable. Yes, it’s him. If we put Shaq (O’Neal) on any of those teams? -via Sixers Wire / July 20, 2023