Victor Wembanyama is set to become the next franchise cornerstone of the San Antonio Spurs after the ping pong balls went in the Spurs' favor in the 2023 NBA Draft lottery. Still, that did not stop ESPN from putting out an absurd list of hypothetical trades involving the prized top overall pick. That list included a trade where the Philadelphia 76ers would trade reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid to the Spurs for Wembanyama.

A trade like this would send seismic shockwaves across the NBA. Philadelphia would revert back to a Process 2.0 by acquiring a tantalizing talent in Wemby. Meanwhile, San Antonio would immediately shift to a win-now mindset with Embiid as their new franchise superstar. Here is the Spurs-Sixers trade proposed by ESPN:

Spurs receive: Joel Embiid

Sixers receive: Victor Wembanyama, Toronto's 2024 first-round pick, Doug McDermott, Devonte' Graham

From Spurs perspective

As mentioned, San Antonio would instantly go back to championship aspirations by acquiring the newly minted MVP. The Spurs have a ton of draft capital and young players they can use in trades to quickly make this turnaround and build a contending roster around Embiid.

Both Wembanyama and Embiid carry high injury risks. Anyone who is 7-foot-4 and has a lanky frame will always have scouts and general manager's second-guessing their durability. Meanwhile, Embiid has always had his history with injuries, but has proven that he is a legitimate superstar in this league when healthy.

If healthy, a team led by Embiid can certainly contend for a title. And as good as he is already, he could even get better learning under Gregg Popovich. But it's hard to rely on him being healthy for an entire postseason, as he has shown throughout his career. And even when he's healthy, Embiid's production has also dropped from the regular season to the playoffs.

Given this and the fact that Wembanyama still has a whole NBA career ahead of him, this Spurs-Sixers trade doesn't make sense at all for the Spurs. In fact, it would be foolish for the Spurs to even consider trading this phenom, especially for a superstar who has proven to fall short over and over again in the postseason.

While the hype surrounding the French phenom as a generational talent is through the roof, there's still no guaranteeing he'll actually meet the expectations. Still, if you're a rebuilding franchise like the Spurs, you'll continue to bank on that potential. It doesn't matter the potential injury risk, even if Embiid is already the proven superstar.

Spurs grade: C

From Sixers perspective

As for Philly, this might just be their way out of this purgatory they're in. Though they've been highly successful in the regular season, they haven't been able to get past the second of the playoffs in the last six years.

Sure, trading Joel Embiid now sinks them back toward the bottom of the pecking order in the East. But at least they have arguably the greatest prospect ever in team sports, that is according to Woj.

This would drag the franchise back into another iteration of The Process. But still, having a tantalizing and must-watch prospect gracing the Wells Fargo Center should keep the enthusiasm around Philly fans, even if the wins don't come as often.

This Spurs-Sixers trade would also allow Daryl Morey to work his magic and find the right pieces around Victor Wembanyama to build an ever higher-ceiling roster than they have right now. In this scenario, it would certainly be interesting to see what James Harden would do as he hits free agency.

Sixers grade: A