The Sacramento Kings were one of the biggest losers in the NBA Draft Lottery, falling two spots to seventh in the 2026 NBA Draft. Although this ended their hopes of bringing in a new face to the franchise, one executive thinks there may be another path forward for the team.
An unnamed NBA executive told Jake Fisher that he believes there is a long-term scenario where Sacramento could trade Domantas Sabonis to the Philadelphia 76ers for All-Star center Joel Embiid.
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Philadelphia has already made its first major change of this offseason by firing president of basketball operations Daryl Morey. While coach Nick Nurse is returning, it appears the franchise is looking to make more changes to the roster after another playoff crash.
It wouldn't be a surprise if Embiid comes up in NBA trade rumors this summer. The 32-year-old is now three years removed from winning NBA MVP and hasn't earned an All-Star selection since 2024. Given his history of poor performance in the playoffs, it is understandable why Philadelphia would want to move on from him.
Would the Kings be interested in a Joel Embiid trade?
While the 76ers are certainly willing to trade Embiid, it's fair to question whether the Sacramento Kings would have any interest in acquiring him. The club is already projected to exceed the 2026-27 luxury tax, meaning an even heavier tax bill for owner Vivek Ranadive to pay for a team that isn't even close to competing.
Swapping Sabonis for Embiid would mean adding an additional $12.4 million to the Kings payroll next season, with the cost increasing even more due to the luxury tax. It also doesn't mean Sabonis' contract expires in 2028 while Embiid will make $69.005 million in the 2028-29 season.
This doesn't even account for the long-term durability risk Embiid poses. There is a real possibility that Sacramento could acquire the former NBA MVP and have his availability and contributions greatly reduced over the next two seasons. Even just two years into the deal, the Kings may be looking at a version of Embiid who is no longer able to play.
Financially, such a deal would make sense for the 76ers. They will commit less money to their starting center and Sabonis has a shorter contract. However, the All-Star center has his own history of shortcomings in the NBA playoffs and is a huge liability defensively. Overall, any trade seems unlikely as no team is interested in it.
