Paul Pierce Wants “Dying” Philadelphia 76ers to Let Go of Joel Embiid

The Philadelphia Eagles may have just come away victorious in Super Bowl LIX, but their NBA counterparts aren’t having nearly as much success. The Philadelphia 76ers have struggled all season, falling out of the Eastern Conference playoff race completely in recent weeks. Therefore, Paul Pierce suggested some drastic changes for the Sixers amidst the franchise’s most disappointing season in “The Process” era.

Both Pierce and Kevin Garnett agreed that the 76ers’ current experiment with Joel Embiid is over, culminating in a bust of a 2024-25 campaign. “The Eagles are flying, the Sixers is dying,” Pierce said on KG Certified. With Tyrese Maxey assuming the role of the team’s best player throughout Embiid’s injury issues, the 47-year-old believes it’s time to cut ties with the seven-time All-Star.

“Man, [the Sixers] need to trade Embiid, get some fresh air,” Pierce continued. “Build around Maxey…I just think it’s time for fresh air.”

The two Celtics legends acknowledged that the Sixers’ keys were in Maxey’s hands now, especially considering Paul George’s downward spiral this season. With PG’s long-term, expensive deal that no other team will want to take on, Pierce underlined how Philadelphia will have to get creative to improve by moving on from Embiid.

The 30-year-old is still a dominant scorer when he’s able to suit up, but his recurring knee issues have made many pessimistic about Embiid’s long-term chances in the league. So it’s hard to predict a realistic return for him right now.

Pierce and KG tried to come up with a possible destination for Embiid, who still boasts some value even with his serious injury concerns. The pair came up with the Indiana Pacers as a possible landing spot, which would finally prompt the Pacers to move on from Myles Turner, who has been featured in trade talks for years now.

With Indiana stuck in the middle, Pierce believes the franchise needs to take a chance and make a splash. This isn’t the first time Pierce has suggested trading Embiid, though.

Paul Pierce once suggested a blockbuster deal for Joel Embiid

When discussing up-and-coming players and teams on a past episode of their show, Pierce excitedly proposed a league-altering deal that would send Embiid to the New Orleans Pelicans for Zion Williamson. “Zion for Joel Embiid, I’mma pair him with Maxey, the two young guys” Pierce said. “Take that chance.”

The Hall of Fame forward was intrigued at the idea of pairing Williamson’s high-flying skillset with Maxey’s elite scoring and passing abilities. KG didn’t believe Zion would be a serviceable replacement for the former MVP, but at this point, the Sixers are running out of options. If the team fails to make the playoffs with their current core, a roster shakeup should be expected this summer.