Philadelphia 76ers trade rumors: The Sixers have high hopes for Embiid

Already a household name in the NBA, it is intriguing that Joel Embiid has yet to make his debut in the league.

He picked up a back injury during his freshman season at Kansas and yet still found himself third pick in the 2014 NBA Draft as he was contracted by the Philadelphia 76ers.

A month later, he signed a multi-year contract with the team but had to sit out of the game due to a stress fracture on his right foot. He needed surgery to insert metal screws.

Finally this year, the league will get its first sighting of Joel Embiid and it appears that everyone is watching.

Many are hoping that Embiid will be one of the best players in the league and possibly serve as the savior of the Sixers.

His length and skill set are two things that he has going for the team and if his skills are put to good use, he can be one of the elite big men in the league.

However, there is also a chance that Embiid never fulfills the lofty expectations. His journey in the league could end before it ever really begins, similar to the story of Greg Oden of the Portland Trail Blazers.

In the two years that people have been waiting for his arrival, many are thinking of what he can really bring to the table.

The Sixers is a young team with a lot of talented big men. Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor are also in the spotlight trying to fight for their spots in the league, but Embiid's advantage may be his ability to be a pillar of defense for the team.

Looking at his numbers back in college, Embiid was never the volume scorer but he was able to hold down the defensive end for the team. This is the ultimate hope that fans have for him when he finally makes his debut with the Sixers.

There will undoubtedly be a lot of expectations and pressure but everyone rooting for Embiid believes that he has what it takes to handle it.