The Philadelphia 76ers came within one solid quarter away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. Alas, the Sixers allowed Jayson Tatum to snap out of his funk late in Game 6 and they paid for it dearly in Game 7, with Tatum scoring 51 points to lead the Boston Celtics to victory all the while the Sixers' duo of Joel Embiid and James Harden stunk it up. Now, with a long offseason ahead for the Sixers, speculation has now run rampant regarding the 2023 NBA MVP's future with the franchise.

Have the Sixers hit their ceiling yet with Embiid leading the way? It's not quite clear yet. But plenty have already fired up the trade machine and imagined scenarios where Philly surprisingly deals away their star center in an attempt to pivot to a different direction.

Nevertheless, according to BetOnline, the most likely outcome is that Joel Embiid stays with the Sixers despite another disappointing exit from the playoffs. In fact, it is the overwhelmingly likely outcome, as the odds on Embiid staying with the Sixers is at -2000, while an Embiid trade is at +700.

Stars who can function as a team's fulcrum on both ends of the floor are extremely rare, so it's hard to envision a scenario where the Sixers deal away Embiid. Moreover, it's hard to imagine the Sixers front office being even the least bit giddy about the notion of trading away the franchise's first MVP since Allen Iverson even after Philadelphia's playoff run ended on a whimper.

It's quite interesting what the Sixers would decide to do this offseason. With the title race as wide open as it is, the prospect of running it back, perhaps under a different coach, could be an enticing one. However, there has been plenty of smoke regarding a potential James Harden move to the Houston Rockets, which would severely hamper Joel Embiid and the Sixers' chances of winning it all.

Trading away Tobias Harris' expiring contract could end up being the avenue the Sixers decide to take in pursuing an upgrade. One thing's for sure, there's no way the Sixers stand pat after their third playoff loss to the Celtics since 2018.