A few things being assumed with this trade:
Joel Embiid demands a trade if/when the Sixers miss the playoffs.
Myles Turner resign with the Pacers or this turns into a sign and trade.
The Pacers don’t make any significant noise in the playoffs.
This trade would occur in the offseason due to Embiid’s recently signed restriction.
Breakdown:
Lakers: AD has publicly requested that the Lakers acquire a center, but that is a tough ask when Davis doesn’t really stretch the floor, and shooting centers are rare. Moreover, many shooting centers are liabilities on defense (Vucevic, KAT, etc), or untouchable (Jokic). Myles Turner is the perfect fit as he is an elite rim protector and a great shooter, which will fix the Lakers two biggest problems and make AD happy. Also in case anyone cares (which I doubt you do), Ricky Council is there for the cap.
Sixers: The Sixers are old and bad, which is the worst place to be as a franchise. Embiid is obviously phenomenal when on the court, but he is extremely injury prone, and there remain real questions about his ability in the playoffs. Also, despite him being only 30 years old, with his reported lack of work ethic, it’s hard to see his prime lasting real long. The Sixers get an absolute haul with 2 FRPs and 5 players. Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker are both front court players with high potential, Nesmith is playable immediately, and Vanderbilt is a rotational defensive guy. Gabe Vincent sucks, but he needs to be there for the cap. With this move, and likely a Paul George trade, the Sixers could quickly rebound around a young core of Maxey, McCain, and Toppin, while clearing a ton of money off their books and stockpiling picks. It isn’t the stylish approach, but it’s the right one.
Pacers: The Pacers are a fun, young, offensive team, but they realistically can’t beat Cleveland, Boston, or New York in the east. Yet. It is really hard to win a championship in the modern NBA without a true top 5-7 player in the league, and Haliburton isn’t that. By adding Embiid they become immediate title contenders.
Leave thoughts in the comments!