NBA insider explains why Sixers star Joel Embiid leans more towards ‘personal than team goals’

Ever since James Harden publicly called his own boss Daryl Morey a liar after he didn’t deliver his promise of selling him “quickly” this summer, it has been reported that teammate Joel Embiid is considering a move outside of Philadelphia next season.

This is one of the reasons why NBA insider Steve Bulpett guarantees that the reigning MVP’s motivation normally leans more toward “personal than team goals”, as rumors are flooding the Sixers camp suggesting he could also request a trade.

“A number of sources with ties to the club have said Embiid’s motivation leans more toward personal than team goals,” the reporter wrote. “And the Sixers source said, ‘There’s a lot of truth to that. But the guy is a legit major force in this league, and there ain’t too many of those. And now that he’s got his MVP, the next thing a guy looks at is legacy — and legacy is all about winning.'”

After 394 regular-season matches with the 76ers, the star big man has made six All-Star selections, five All-NBA teams, three All-Defensive and the current MVP award while averaging 27.2 points and 11.2 rebounds. Nevertheless, his team has never reached past the second round of the playoffs during this time.

In his MVP campaign, he averaged 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds in Philadelphia while shooting 54.8% from the floor, 33.0% from range and 85.7% from the free-throw line. Even though the Sixers swept the Brooklyn Nets in this last postseason, the Celtics beat them in the second stage.

Embiid is currently under a four-year, $210 million contract extension signed in 2021, but reportedly wants Harden to stay with the team, or else he’s threatened of leaving.

Bulpett also revealed that he’s aware of an NBA team that might trade in for James Harden amid the drama

According to Bulpett, an NBA executive told him that “there may be a team” that trades for 76ers star James Harden, who requested a transfer months ago and has even expressed his desire to play for the Los Angeles Clippers.

“There may be a team that goes for him at some point,” one Eastern Conference NBA executive shared. “But he costs you a lot of money, and he can obviously be a major headache when he’s not happy. This is the third team he’s demanded a traded from.”

NBA is fining James Harden $100,000 for his comments referring to Daryl Morey as a “liar,” per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/cRPK384rvR

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 22, 2023

“And if you’re looking to build a team to win everything, you have to have questions. The bottom line is you’d rather be playing against him in the playoffs than have him on your team,” he made a case for The Beard. “No question he can get you numbers, and the averages in the playoffs can make it look not that bad. But the playoffs are different, and that’s when he can cost you a lot on defense and, in general, how he wants to play with the ball in his hands.”

The veteran star was recently fined $100,000 by the league after calling his club’s president Daryl Morey “a liar” during his Adidas tour in China.