Team’s International Exposure Reflects Global Growth, Appeal of NBA

With the Philadelphia 76ers trading away James Harden, the attention is going to turn to how Joel Embiid feels about their chances of competing for a title. The Sixers have a number of future first round picks they can trade while they also currently project to have max cap space in 2024.

“For him and Philadelphia, he’s going to have to buy in to what Daryl Morey’s vision is there with the assets they’ve got,” said Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday’s episode of NBA Today. “Whether that’s at the trade deadline. Whether he sells them on what they can do around the draft or free agency with trades or free agent signings to get a team around him that he believes in moving forward.

“This is true of maybe six, seven, eight players in the league who at any given time who are legit, franchise level MVP players in their prime. Every organization is at the mercy of whether they’re happy. Whether they believe in it. It doesn’t matter whether you are going to be a free agent or have four years left on their deal. That is the reality of the NBA and Philly knows that. Now they’re going to spend, literally, every waking day trying to convince Joel Embiid everything he wants, that’s most of all winning, can still happen with the Sixers.”

Embiid cannot become a free agent until 2026.

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving has spent his national team duty as part of Team USA to this point in his career. However, Irving is in process of trying to make the switch to represent Australia on the national level.

“Man, we’re in the process of that right now, just trying to figure out the best route for me to be eligible,” Irving said of switching to play for Australia. “There’s a lot of paperwork involved. Obviously, USA (Basketball) still has a decision to make, but for me, I’m just trying to do what’s best. Honestly, if I can be an Aussie at one point in my career and play for the Australian team, that would be great.”

Irving was born in Australia, which would have made him eligible to represent the country on the national team level. The All-Star guard explained that in the past he was encouraged to play for Team USA instead, which he did at the 2014 FIBA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. Now, if Irving can get the clearances, he’d like to suit up for Australia in future competition.