The Brooklyn Nets this trade deadline had a falling out with both of their stars, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Both players ended up being dealt to new teams and the Nets were left with whatever they could get in return. Brooklyn is set up nicely with a ton of role players, but they are now missing that star since they were forced to trade Durant. The Nets would have a few hurdles they would need to jump over in order to acquire Joel Embiid, but they could construct a respectable package to make their fourth major trade in the last two seasons.

This trade would be successful in the 2023 offseason

Nets: Brooklyn lost all of their own first round picks after trading for James Harden. However, the pairing of Harden, Durant, and Irving ended up failing, and Brooklyn had to trade all three superstars. In return, the Nets acquired some 1st round picks back that would make a trade possible. Pieces like Nic Claxton and Cam Thomas along with some 1st round picks could be a respectable package for a star, and in this case, it’s Joel Embiid. Embiid alongside the great role players that the Nets already have could be a very competitive team in the East.

Hornets: The main hurdle that the Nets would need to jump over would be trading Ben Simmons. Embiid and Simmons can not be on the same team after their relationship came to an end after the 2021 playoffs. For Charlotte, if Simmons regains his all-star form, Simmons would be a tremendous pickup. The Hornets need defense and the Nets may be willing to add an extra 1st round pick to take on the remainder of Simmons’s contract. LaMelo Ball, an all-star level Simmons, and their 2023 1st round pick could create an exciting team.

76ers: An Embiid trade needs to be headlined by young players as well as picks. Obviously, the 76ers would have no interest in Simmons as the return, so the Nets can offer some other pieces. Claxton has had a breakout year in 2023 where he likely will make an all-defensive team. Cam Thomas has shown that when he is given flexibility, he can score with some of the best. Dorian Finney-Smith showed his worth with Dallas as a great role player that could fetch another 1st for Philadelphia if they decide to trade him to a contender. The Nets, while they don't have their own picks, have 1st round picks from Phoenix and Dallas that they can offer.

Overall: It's incredibly unlikely that the Nets and 76ers would engage in negotiations for Embiid after Harden's trade request to Philadelphia started their downfall. However, if the two teams put that aside, there are still some obstacles that the teams would need to avoid, the largest being Ben Simmons. It's pretty obvious that Embiid and Simmons can no longer be teammates, so the Nets would need to find a team willing to take a chance on Simmons after this season. Other teams that I believe could take a shot on Simmons include the Hawks, Jazz, and Spurs.