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In the most shocking move of the NBA offseason thus far, Kevin Durant formally requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets just two days after Kyrie Irving signed his $37 million player option to remain with the team. Now, the scramble is on for a contender to trade for one of the greatest talents the NBA has ever seen.

The Philadelphia 76ers will surely be involved in the Durant sweepstakes, and if they listen to Joel Embiid‘s reported plea, they’ll do everything in their power to land the superstar.

Joel Embiid makes passionate plea to the 76ers

Joel Embiid looks at Kevin Durant.
Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers looks toward Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets | Dustin Satloff/Getty Images

Embiid wants to bring a championship to Philadelphia by any means necessary, but he may need another All-Star teammate to make that possible. So, when Durant became available after his trade request, Embiid wasted no time making his wishes clear.

According to a tweet from Jason Dumas of Bleacher Report last Thursday, the MVP runner-up wants the 76ers to do everything possible to land Durant via trade.

“Joel Embiid has made it clear to management that he wants them to exhaust every option in trying to acquire Durant,” Dumas wrote.

The idea of Embiid and Durant teaming up is an alluring one, but do the Sixers have the ability to put together a trade package enticing enough to pry KD away from the Nets?

What a Kevin Durant-Sixers trade might look like

Philadelphia would be the perfect place for Durant to once again hit the reset button on his career, and the Sixers do have the assets to make it happen. In a potential KD deal, Philly would need to throw in Tobias Harris and his $37.6 million salary for next season. The rest of the trade package would be comprised of young players and multiple draft picks.

Here’s what a possible deal might look like:

Nets receive: Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle, three first-round picks (2024, 2026, 2028)

Sixers receive: Kevin Durant

On the Nets side, they’d add a proven veteran, a budding superstar, and a defensive specialist while building toward the future with three future first-rounders. As for the Sixers, they’d immediately become one of the top favorites to win a title in 2023.

Expect the Sixers to be aggressive in what should be a fascinating bidding war for the future Hall of Famer.

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Staff Writer

Jack Dougherty

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

When Jack isn’t writing about sports, he’s watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He’s also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.