Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is a polarizing superstar. On one hand, he's considered one of the most dominant players in the NBA today, but on the other, many believe he has yet fully realize his potential or live up to expectations. To that end, an endless stream of coverage comes out of the City of Brotherly Love in regard to the reigning NBA MVP, from the cut-and-dry to the fanciful.

It's not always easy to tell what's real and what's fake though. So, when Embiid makes incendiary comments about his willingness to win a championship outside of Philadelphia, it brings to question the veracity of rumors linking him to other teams. Specifically, whether or not Embiid and the New York Knicks are destined to find one another.

After all, the Knicks have been tied to Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, Phoenix Suns scorer Kevin Durant, Dallas Mavericks playmaker Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns and even Milwaukee Bucks perennial MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo over the past few years.

Deals that have yet to come to fruition. So, is there fire where there's been smoke, or only mirror?

In the latest tidbit to come out of Philly, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer would classify the Knicks' interest in Embiid as the proverbial “worst-kept secret” on SiriusXM NBA Radio.

“The worst-kept secret is that the Knicks have been compiling… compiling and keeping a hold of their first-round draft picks hoping and praying that Joel Embiid asks out [of Philadelphia],” Pompey said. “I can see that absolutely happening.”

Due to the uncertainty that faces the Sixers, there's no guarantee Joel Embiid remains in Philadelphia. That's particularly true after Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard, the contemporary bastions of team loyalty, recently requested trades.