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NBA legend isn't a fan of an Embiid-Celtics pairing originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Joel Embiid had quite the season with the Philadelphia 76ers, managing to make his way back onto the court for 38 games, which is double what he put up during the team’s disastrous 2024-25 campaign. Across these 38 appearances, the Cameroonian superstar would put up 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per night, which has been the closest he’s been to getting back to the level he was producing around his MVP window.
These numbers would only seem to increase in the playoffs when Embiid returned from the injury report, averaging 28 points and nine rebounds a night against the Boston Celtics in the opening round, managing to turn the tide in Philadelphia’s favor, as the seventh seed would pull off a 3-1 comeback against their Atlantic Division rivals.
The former MVP’s performances would drop off in the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the New York Knicks, only putting up 18.7 points a night, with the Sixers getting swept in four games to put an end to their season.
As there is every offseason with Embiid, trade rumors have started to swirl.
Paul Pierce is opposed to an Embiid trade
LeBron. Durant. Morant. Embiid. Giannis... The rumor mill has been SWIRLING, with a number of stars potentially on the move this summer
Ticket & Truth break down who the Celtics should chase, and who they should pass on.
New TICKET & THE TRUTH out now on our YouTube. pic.twitter.com/LdTaj8ELl2
— KG: Certified (@kg_certified) May 15, 2026
With Embiid’s name being included in such trade talks, pundits around the league have started to imagine what the former MVP would look like donning their team's colors. This includes Kevin Garnett, who floated the idea of the 32-year-old coming to the Celtics to his championship-winning teammate, Paul Pierce, who was strongly against the idea.
“No, he doesn’t fit into what we’re trying to do over here,” Pierce stated.
The Celtics finished the season with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, despite not having their franchise star, Jayson Tatum, for the better part of the campaign. However, given the team’s lack of cap space going into the 2026-27 season, there would have to be some serious consideration of bringing in the former MVP, who is slated to earn roughly $57.9 million, as reported by Spotrac.
The Celtics could be without both Nikola Vucevic and Neemias Queta in the offseason, both of whom filled out Joe Mazzulla’s front court over the course of the season. Vucevic is slated to become an unrestricted free agent, while Queta’s 2026-27 season is under a team option.
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