1. Joel Embiid
The Embiid rumblings have cooled after the 76ers traded James Harden and have failed to miss a beat. The reigning MVP is leading the league in scoring for the third straight year and producing a better stat line than last season. Philadelphia is in the thick of the race in the Eastern Conference, but another playoff disappointment could have Embiid questioning his future.
He will turn 30 in March and has never advanced past the second round of the playoffs. His best chance to win it all was the year Jimmy Butler played for the Sixers. It took a Kawhi Leonard buzzer-beater to knock them out, and the Raptors won the championship. Embiid wants to win in Philly but may try to join his old friend if things go south.
Butler and Embiid have discussed reuniting, and the Heat would certainly be interested in the 76ers superstar. They would likely trade Bam Adebayo to get him to South Beach, but that is the price to pay to land the reigning MVP.
The Miami Heat would love to add another star, and Jimmy Butler is the key to making it happen. Can he recruit someone to join him in South Beach? There will be plenty of rumors, so stay tuned for all the latest.