The Philadelphia 76ers appear to be willing to trade rookie Joel Embiid. Philadelphia has yet to sign Embiid, leading to the possibility 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie is considering offers for the 7-footer.
Embiid, who's currently recovering from foot surgery, isn't expected to be ready by the season opener. The fact he remains unsigned, though, could be for one of two reasons.
Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors speculates Hinkie may simply be trying to make the best use of his cap space this season.
"...I wouldn't be surprised if the Sixers held off on signing Embiid until late September, the time of year when they inked (Nerlens) Noel in 2013," Myron wrote on Thursday. "Keeping Embiid unsigned maximizes Philadelphia's flexibility, since the Sixers could exceed the salary cap to sign him if they find a way to use their ample room beneath the cap."
Another reason, however, could be because Hinkie is considering moving the Cameroon native. The Cleveland Cavaliers' signing of rookie Andrew Wiggins last month delayed the purported Kevin Love trade for 30 days, something which Hinkie would want to avoid if he is entertaining the idea of trading Embiid before the start of training camp.
Hinkie has the reputation of being a "collector." He likes to collect the best assets available, preferring talent over need, to give himself a hefty stockpile of goodies for use later on.
Drafting Embiid third overall was an example of this. Embiid had been widely projected to be the first pick of the draft until he underwent foot surgery in June. Despite already having a center in Noel, Hinkie selected the best talent still available at No. 3: Embiid.
Keeping Embiid unsigned essentially keeps Hinkie's options open, although a growing thought seems to be Hinkie will sideline Embiid for the season and tank again for a lottery pick.
