Two years in a row now, the Philadelphia 76ers have drafted injured big men. The team took Nerlens Noel last season while he was rehabbing a torn ACL. Noel has not been seen on the court since getting drafted. Philadelphia then used the sixth overall pick to grab center Joel Embiid this season. He is currently rehabbing a foot injury that could sideline him 5-8 months after surgery which comes after a back injury in college. With two young centers on the roster, is Philadelphia planning on trading one in the near future?
Several teams have tried and failed at the two centers game plan. Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol failed to exist together. The Detroit Pistons did not have any luck pairing Andre Drummon, Josh Smith and Greg Monroe together. Would the 76ers have different luck? The idea that the team might attempt to trade one center in the near future has come but, but Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders denies the idea that Noel or Embiid are headed anywhere.
Davis writes that the 76ers can play both players in the frontcourt together. David believes the two players are keys to the 76ers' future and while the team normally plans for the future, when healthy, both Embiid and Noel can make a difference immediately. The 76ers love to trade for other assets, but sooner or later the team must figure out how to build a roster for the present instead of years down the road. Embiid and Noel would be excellent players to pair with Michael Carter-Williams and Thaddeus Young if he is still on the roster.
If the 76ers are serious about making a trade in the near future it will be with Young. The power forward is certainly gaining plenty of attention after the Minnesota Timberwolves dealt Kevin Love. According to ESPN.com, the Timberwolves are interested in a deal for Young to help replace Love. However, the team is not willing to give up certain assets and Philadelphia does not have any interest in acquiring Anthony Bennett. Minnesota is not making players like Ricky Rubio or Kevin Martin available.
The likelihood of Noel or Embiid getting traded in the near future is slim to never happening. When healthy, they both can be two of the best centers in the NBA. Philadelphia will be able to capitalize off that if they simply demonstrate some patience.
