The Philadelphia 76ers snagged one superstar out of Los Angeles. But Angelenos are now about to get some serious star power in the diamond. And that’s left Sixers center Joel Embiid unable to contain his excitement. The Philly star is a new joinee in the Los Angeles Dodgers fanbase. So he’s probably heard the big news – the reigning champion Dodgers finalized a blockbuster trade for Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.

The trade has thrilled the brand new Dodgers fan that he jumped on social media to react in real-time, posting a brief yet ecstatic response:

“OMG!! OMG!!!”

That pretty much sums up Dodgers nation right now.

Embiid’s animated reaction immediately caught the eye of sports fans across Philadelphia and beyond. While the big man has deeply entrenched himself in the City of Brotherly Love, frequently attending Philadelphia Phillies games at Citizens Bank Park, his baseball allegiances carry an intriguing twist.

Embiid previously revealed to fans on social media that while the Phillies remain his primary rooting interest, the Dodgers are his secondary MLB team, even tweeting “3 peat baby” in support of the Dodgers’ securing another World Series crown last season.

With the Dodgers already eliminating the Phillies in a heartbreaking 2025 postseason matchup, Embiid’s public cheerleading for Hollywood’s latest superpower move got plenty of double-takes among Philly faithful.

However, for an athlete who appreciates legendary dominance, LA landing the premier left-handed starter on the market was simply too massive to ignore.

The trade brings back-to-back American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal to Los Angeles. Detroit gets a package headlined by 21-year-old outfielder Zyhir Hope alongside right-handed pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith in exchange.

Skubal, 29, dominated over his 2024 and 2025 campaigns, posting a 2.30 ERA with a 31.2% strikeout rate over 387 ⅓ innings. He becomes the first pitcher traded in the season following a Cy Young win since R.A. Dickey in 2012.

For Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman, adding Skubal fortifies a rotation currently navigating significant health uncertainties. Most prominently, Shohei Ohtani remains limited to designated hitter duties due to knee and bicep issues.

Additionally, Tyler Glasnow has been sidelined since May with back spasms; Blake Snell is recovering from elbow surgery to remove bone chips; and Gavin Stone remains out indefinitely while recovering from a shoulder injury.

By acquiring Skubal, the Dodgers pair an elite arm alongside Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the postseason.

Skubal holds a career 2.04 ERA across six playoff starts, helping keep the superstar pitcher away from National League rivals like the Phillies, Atlanta Braves, and Milwaukee Brewers, who were heavily linked to trade talks.

For Embiid, the baseball plot twist comes when he’s at the epicenter of the biggest plot twist of this NBA offseason. LeBron James just signed with the Sixers, perhaps the last in a list of every prediction this free agency.

Following an injury-plagued 2025-26 season where he was limited to 38 games, the 76ers’ big man prepares for a high-stakes campaign alongside the newly acquired stars, LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. But his viral reaction proves he’s watching the high-stakes moves across the sports landscape just as closely as the fans.