Welcome back to the Joel Embiid trade series by kawntent sports. I’m back from a slight hiatus and I’ve decided to pick up right where we left off: continuing the longest-running series in kawntent sports history. In this deal, the Blazers decide against dealing Damian Lillard and instead decide to finally build a contender around him.

Why the Blazers do this:

It’s been rumored that the Blazers are reluctant to trade Damian Lillard and would rather hold out even if it means keeping him into the regular season. This means that they are still not set on honoring his trade request, at least not immediately.

Are the Blazers open to the possibility of building a contender around Dame? Who knows, but it’s fun to think about. Anyhow, this Blazers team around Dame, Grant, and Embiid manages to also keep Shaedon Sharpe in this deal. Is the team deep? No, but Phoenix’s offseason is showing that depth can be acquired easily. And this brings the city of Portland what it deserves - a team with a real shot at doing something.

Why the 76ers do this:

This is a no-brainer for the Sixers. They acquire a guy who would be a first overall pick in any other draft in Scoot Henderson to build a super-backcourt for the future with Tyrese Maxey. They pick up a temporary center in Jusuf Nurkic, and a sixth man who could be flipped for a better fitting guy in Anfernee Simons. Along with this haul, they bring in three unprotected first round picks from a Portland team that will likely be terrible by the time they convey. This may be one of the best offers on the table for Joel Embiid.

This is one wild deal that is quite unlikely but it is surely possible. What do you think of this deal if the Blazers want to keep Dame? Let me know in the comments.