NBA Rumors: Sacramento Kings Linked to Bizarre Trade for Superstar

Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

While the 76ers are certainly willing to trade Embiid, it’s fair to question if the Sacramento Kings would have any interest in acquiring him. The club is already projected to be over the 2026-27 luxury tax, meaning an even heftier tax bill for owner Vivek Ranadive to pay for a team that isn’t anywhere close to contending.

Swapping out Sabonis for Embiid would mean adding an additional $12.4 million to the Kings payroll next season, with that cost pushed even higher because of the luxury tax. That’s not even factoring in that Sabonis’ contract expires in 2028 whereas Embiid will be making $69.005 million in the 2028-29 season.

That’s not even accounting for the long-term durability risk that Embiid carries. There’s a realistic chance that Sacramento could acquire the former NBA MVP and see his availability and contributions greatly diminish in the next two seasons. Even just two years into the deal, the Kings might be looking at a version of Embiid that is no longer playable.

Financially, a deal like this would make sense for the 76ers. They would be committing less money to their starting center and Sabonis’ contract is shorter. However, the All-Star center has his own history of shortcomings in the NBA Playoffs and he’s a massive liability defensively. All in all, a trade seems implausible with neither team probably having interest in it.

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