Warriors trade idea lands 76ers' $187 million seven-time All-Star, former MVP

Warriors trade idea lands 76ers' $187 million seven-time All-Star, former MVP originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Golden State Warriors’ 2026 offseason could go one of two ways.

The seven-time NBA champions could make little to no effort to provide Stephen Curry with the help he needs, or they could all-out and enter the 2026-27 with newfound confidence and a far higher ceiling.

CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn has a hunch the Warriors, who failed to reach the postseason this year, will choose the latter by acquiring a Philadelphia 76ers superstar and former MVP.

“Would Philadelphia offer Joel Embiid straight up for (Jimmy) Butler's expiring contract,” Quinn wrote Saturday. “They would essentially be giving up the chance at an All-NBA player -- and Embiid genuinely was that good when healthy -- to offload the risk of the two extra years Embiid has on his deal compared to Butler.”

“(Kristaps) Porzingis already functions somewhat similarly within Golden State's ecosystem as a high-upside but often unavailable center who creates his own points, but Embiid is simply a different class of player.”

“Is the potentially catastrophic injury risk a fair tradeoff for this level of upside without having to give up a mountain of picks? It made more sense before Porzingis, but I wouldn't take it completely off the table now.”