Miami Heat Rumors: Is a Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers divorce inevitable?

While the Miami Heat are battling for a championship, rumors are surfacing regarding a trade target they’ve been linked to in Joel Embiid.

Before this season’s start, which seems like seven years ago at this point, the Miami Heat were actively planning to upgrade this roster come the 2021 offseason. Now, sitting just four wins away from a championship, that remains in question moving forward.

Still, it’s worth keeping up on the names they’ve been tied to, just in case Miami goes that route. The latest trade target to make headlines? Philadelphia 76ers’ big Joel Embiid.

After getting swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics, who fell to the Miami Heat in the Conference Finals, things have been trending downward in Philadelphia. They fired Brett Brown, their head coach of seven seasons, just days after.

In discussing Tyronn Lue as a candidate for the 76ers head coaching job, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer compared Embiid’s relationship co-star Ben Simmons to the chaotic, topsy-turvy nature of that between Shaquille O’Neal and the late Kobe Bryant:

"“As a Los Angeles Lakers player, Lue won NBA titles in 2000 and 2001 while playing with Hall of Famers and Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, who like Simmons and Embiid didn’t always get along.”"

Even if the animosity between Embiid and Simmons hasn’t reached Bryant and O’Neal levels, this is still worth noting in regards to the Heat’s potential pursuit of Philly’s big man. There hasn’t been any reporting to indicate they will do such, but he and Heat alpha Jimmy Butler are close friends.

The upcoming offseason for the 76ers will be a crucial one, with a rearranging of the front office and head coaching change already underway. After handing out huge contracts to Tobias Harris and Al Horford, Philadelphia will once again look to reshape this roster ahead of a title run.

Also for what it’s worth, Vice President of Communications for the 76ers, Dave Sholler called the report “false” in a tweet on Monday afternoon. For now, it seems the way ahead for Philadelphia is to continue on assuming their two disgruntled All-Stars will be suiting up on Opening Night (TBD).

But as always, keep in mind that this is the NBA, and things change fast.

Reports of a trade request from either of the two All-Stars could surface as early as tomorrow, and none of us would be shocked. For the Miami Heat, it’s a reminder that there are options.

For now, the Miami Heat will continue to ignore any and all trade chatter with their NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers just days away. Game 1 is scheduled for Wednesday night, with tip-off slated for 9:00 pm EST. Coverage will be provided by ABC.