Sixers mailbag: ‘Is the front office willing to trade Joel Embiid or is he untouchable?’

A lot has changed since the conclusion of the 76ers’ season. Doc Rivers has been fired and is a candidate for the Phoenix Suns coaching job. James Harden is expected to opt out of the final season of his deal and re-sign with Houston Rockets in free agency. And Nick Nurse is the fan favorite to replace Rivers.

We could learn in the coming days if the fans get their wish. Harden’s plans will be revealed in several weeks.

» READ MORE: Boston’s Eastern Conference finals struggles reveal just how far Sixers are from an NBA title

But in the meantime, I’ll answer a few of your mailbag questions.

Missed out on the party? No worries. Submit questions for next time by tweeting @PompeyOnSixers with the hashtag #PompeysMailbagFlow.

Q: Is the front office willing to listen to trades for Joel Embiid or is he untouchable? — @Philly_phrenzy

KP: Thanks for the question, Nick. There’s no plan to trade Embiid at any point. So, yes, he is very much untouchable. There are some who believe the Sixers should consider trading the league MVP because of his injury history and inability to get out of the second round. But it’s not that simple. Embiid is the face of the Sixers and the main reason why they’ve won 154 games over the last three seasons. They won’t come close to getting equal value for the future Hall of Famer in a trade. Sure, they’ll get several nice pieces and multiple first-round picks. But any trade for Embiid basically would jump-start The Process Part 2. And if we learned anything from The Process, nothing is guaranteed.

Q: Who’s the BEST next coach for Embiid? Monty Williams, but he hasn’t won and has player issues. Nick Nurse seems great at scheming and adjusting. He has won. Mike Budenholzer has won and shouldn’t have been fired. Mike D’Antoni. No, thumbs down to his playoff history. All candidates can handle Philly media. — @emilee_with2Es

KP: I appreciate the question, Emilee. All of the coaches have great qualities that can unlock Embiid. I think Williams would do the best job of holding him accountable. But of the candidates you mentioned, Nurse would be the best coach for Embiid. He would find ways to put Embiid in scoring situations with his unconventional coaching style. Nurse would keep the star center engaged and placed in the right situations.

» READ MORE: Former Sixers coach Doc Rivers is set to interview for Phoenix Suns job

Q: Is Embiid getting off easy? ... I think so ... even after that atrocious comment ... Harden and he can’t do it all... — @LuisRam99701926

KP: Thanks for the question, Luis. That comment was in the middle of a long answer and was taken a little out of context. But yes, he is getting off easy after his Game 7 performance against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Embiid appeared uninterested and settled too much for jumpers on the perimeter. He finished with 15 points on 5-for-18 shooting. However, his struggles were overshadowed by James Harden’s nine points on 3-for-11 shooting. Plus, Embiid was playing on a sprained right knee. So those are two reasons he received a pass.

Q: How much is the possibility that Philly will trade Tobias Harris this offseason? How many first-round picks does Philly have this offseason that could be traded? — @jb7_phi

KP: Thanks for the question. There’s always a possibility, especially since he’s going into the final season of his contract. However, I think a team also would want some extra incentives (like a first-round pick) to take Harris’ salary off the Sixers’ hands. And to answer your second question, the Sixers don’t have any draft picks — first or second — in this draft. I’m not sure if I would trade Harris this summer, especially considering all of the Harden uncertainty. But if the Sixers do trade him, it might be better to wait until the trade deadline to make a deal. At that time, they could receive extra assets from a team desperate to add Harris for a playoff push.