It will pain the Philadelphia 76ers franchise to lose James Harden and Joel Embiid in the same offseason, as that will effectively end their time as one of the league's legitimate contending teams. But with the Harden drama continuing to envelope the Sixers' offseason in one giant mess, it may only be a matter of time before the 2023 NBA MVP asks out of Philly in search of greener pastures following a few years of turmoil.

Plenty of teams will be head over heels for Embiid should he asks for a trade from the Sixers. It's difficult to imagine a team that won't benefit from his arrival. But among the potential teams that could swing a trade for the 29-year old big man, two destinations may stand out as the most realistic ones.

Per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, two specific contending teams in the Eastern Conference — the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat — are keeping tabs on the whole Joel Embiid-Sixers situation, perhaps with the intention of acquiring him in the near future in mind.

“Everyone’s circling, waiting. The Knicks and Miami are keeping an eye on everything going on,” a league source told Goodwill.

The Knicks have long stood out as a potential trade destination for Joel Embiid. Ever since the Sixers' 2023 playoff demise at the hands of the Boston Celtics, it seems like Embiid has been linked to a move to the Big Apple.

And such a move isn't exactly impossible, especially when the Knicks have the requisite assets that could make the Sixers front office think about pulling the trigger on such a trade. For starters, the Knicks could dangle RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Mitchell Robinson, and even Julius Randle if push comes to shove. And they also have all of their future first-rounders.

Meanwhile, the Heat will find it difficult to swing a trade for any star, as they've discovered in their bid to trade for Damian Lillard this offseason. But it may be hard for the Sixers to find a better trade centerpiece than Bam Adebayo, a player who could presumably give way should Joel Embiid force his way into Miami.