NBA MVP Joel Embiid ‘could ask to leave the Philadelphia 76ers sooner rather than later’ in double blow for the franchise amid James Harden drama

James Harden’s future may be the subject of most speculation right now, but reports suggest the Philadelphia 76ers could also be left sweating over Joel Embiid in the neat future.

According to Yahoo Sports, Embiid, who claimed last season’s MVP award in the NBA, could ask to leave the Sixers ‘sooner rather than later’ amid the controversy surrounding Harden, who launched an extraordinary attack on president Darryl Morey this week.

The point guard ripped into Morey while at a basketball camp in China, accusing him of dishonesty after talks over his desired move to the LA Clippers were ended.

‘Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,’ he said. 

‘Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.’

Joel Embiid (right) could reportedly ask to leave the 76ers amid the drama surrounding James Harden (left) in Philadelphia

Harden branded Sixers president Darryl Morey (pictured) a ‘liar’ earlier this week

Embiid, last season’s NBA MVP, may be tempted to ask for a move away from Philadelphia

Harden’s ugly fall-out with Morey is the latest controversy surrounding the 76ers, who have given Embiid few reasons to believe it can construct a championship-winning roster anytime soon.

As a result, NBA insiders reportedly believe the Philadelphia center will ask out in the not-so-distant future.

Nevertheless, Embiid calling for a trade may not actually come as bad news for Morey, who is believed to have secret ambitions to fully rebuild the franchise after parting company with head coach Doc Rivers this summer.

The Sixers has been eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals or the quarterfinals in each of the last six seasons, form which may not tempt the reigning MVP to stick around much longer.

Embiid sparked fears in Philadelphia by erasing ‘Processing’ from his bio on X (formerly known as Twitter) and removing the state location, only for ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne to report that he was merely trolling fans.

As for Harden, his dispute with Morey is now the subject of an NBA investigation.

Harden unleashed his astonishing attack on Morey at a basketball event in China (pictured)

According to ESPN, NBA officials are looking into the feud to understand whether Harden was portending a 2023-2024 hold out in violation of the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

They are also pursuing an understanding of whether he was in fact referencing past contract discussions that might constitute salary cap circumvention. 

However, it is believed that Harden has privately clarified that his scathing assessment of Morey was merely a response to him ending trade talks with the Clippers with an expectation that he would start the season with Philadelphia.

Should that be communicated to the NBA, neither Harden nor the Sixers would be in violation of any league guidelines.