Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers takes a foul shot during a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center on April 6, 2026.

Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers takes a foul shot against the San Antonio Spurs on April 6, 2026. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

Joel Embiid Could Be A Buy-Low Trade Bet For The Dallas Mavericks

James PierceyJune 18, 2026 9:33 PMJune 18, 2026 9:33 PM

DHJ Quick Take: Should the Mavericks Trade for Joel Embiid?

With Masai Ujiri running basketball operations and Dallas short on draft capital, a buy-low swing at an injury-prone Joel Embiid is the kind of unconventional move that could fast-track a contender around Cooper Flagg.

Why are the Mavericks linked to Joel Embiid? New president Masai Ujiri has a relationship with Embiid from his Toronto days, and Dallas is one of the few teams willing to absorb an injury-risk contract.
What would a deal cost? A salary-matching package built around Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, and Klay Thompson, plus draft capital such as the Lakers’ unprotected 2029 first.
Should Dallas keep Kyrie Irving? Yes, since a win-now move only works if the win-now pieces, Irving included, stay to play alongside Embiid and Flagg.
Is it a smart gamble? It’s risky given Embiid’s health, but Dallas’s limited draft flexibility makes a star swing more logical than a slow rebuild.

In the NBA, the offseason doesn’t wait for the confetti to settle. The New York Knicks just wrapped up their first title in 53 years, and the league’s other 29 teams have already turned to what comes next. That leaves a lot of uneasy fans waiting to see what their favorite team’s next move will be.

So, the rumors start running wild. You’ll hear the same stuff rehashed, but occasionally, something new will really pique your interest.

Raise a hand if you’ve heard tell of Joel Embiid to the Dallas Mavericks rumors before this moment.

Joel Embiid Placed in Recent Trade Rumors

If your hand is raised, congratulations: You’re quicker to the draw than me.

(Also, let’s hope you aren’t in public).

Yet, the rumors are out there. Perhaps it makes some immediate sense. When Masai Ujiri was with the Toronto Raptors, Embiid was often linked to them. The pair share a close relationship as two of the NBA’s preeminent African ambassadors.

Still, that’s not a valid reason to acquire a player. Embiid and Ujiri can go out for dinner, but extending their professional relationship to a shared team would be shortsighted. If the Mavericks are going to acquire Embiid, it has to make sense:

And it very well might.

Dallas Mavericks Should Entertain a Big Splash at the Right Price

A deal could be complicated and messy.

The Mavericks shouldn’t trade Kyrie Irving for Embiid. If they’re making a win-now move, they want to keep their win-now players. So, they’d have to trade some amalgamation of players like Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, and Klay Thompson, along with draft capital. They’re light on the latter, so enticing the Philadelphia 76ers could be a challenge.

Yet, that’s also the reason why acquiring Embiid could make sense – the Mavericks are light on draft capital. They don’t have the means to build around Cooper Flagg through the draft. There’s some logic in putting a dark-horse contender around him now. If it doesn’t work, the Mavericks will have tradable picks again in a couple of years to retool around Flagg.

Moreover, Embiid’s persistent injuries could put him in the Mavericks’ price range. Perhaps the Los Angeles Lakers‘ unprotected 2029 first-rounder would be enough to grease the wheels. This could be a buy-low opportunity for a franchise with limited means to surround its franchise player with top-shelf talent.

It would be unconventional. It’s not the advised strategy for most NBA teams. Building through the draft more gradually has a better track record. That said, the Mavs are in a unique position as a team with a franchise player and limited means to improve the team around him.

When they traded Luka Dočić, it was indicated that they were prioritizing defense. Embiid, when healthy and engaged, is a fantastic rim protector and perhaps the best true two-way big man in the NBA. He, Irving, and Flagg would have a chance to make some real noise next year, even in a crowded Western Conference.

Next offseason, they may be tinkering with a title contender.