Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid's lingering knee problems could require a unique set of surgical procedures to properly repair the damage.

Per Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Embiid could have to undergo any one of three "radical" procedures to give him a chance at resuming his career at something close to full strength.

The list of potential procedures includes a meniscus replacement, low-dose radiation therapy or something known as osteotomy that would require doctors to "break a bone in the hip to realign the joint to alleviate pressure."

Hayes noted doctors have said some of those procedures could require between six months to a full year of rehab before an athlete could return to game action.

Embiid didn't play for the Sixers in Monday's 142-110 loss to the Chicago Bulls due to a knee injury.

Head coach Nick Nurse told reporters prior to tipoff that Embiid would continue to undergo testing to determine the extent of the injury, but the 76ers are "not at the point at all" where they are ready to say the former MVP's season is over.

According to Hayes, Embiid reported knee soreness to the Sixers medical staff on Sunday when they discovered swelling in the area:

"When he reported to practice Sunday, he told team medical staff that the knee felt sore, and when they saw he had suffered swelling overnight, the team ordered a comprehensive set of new images. The new tests will not be fully digested by Embiid’s doctors until Monday evening. He was ruled out for Monday night’s game against the visiting Bulls, and team sources say he isn’t expected to play in any other game in the near future."

Embiid had surgery to repair a torn meniscus on Feb. 4, 2024. He originally suffered the injury five days earlier when Jonathan Kuminga inadvertently landed on his leg diving for a loose ball in a game against the Golden State Warriors.

The seven-time All-Star missed 29 games before returning on April 2. He started all six games of their first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks and played in five of six games for Team USA in the Olympics.

Ongoing issues with his knee kept Embiid out for the first six games this season. He has only been able to play in 19 out of 57 games for the Sixers overall in 2024-25.

Since making his season debut on Nov. 12, Embiid is averaging 23.8 points on 44.4 percent shooting, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. He's on pace to have his lowest scoring average since 2019-20, fewest rebounds since his rookie year in 2016-17 and worst field-goal percentage of his career.

The 76ers have lost a season-high eight straight games. Their 20-37 record is the fourth worst in the Eastern Conference, ahead of only the Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards.

The Philadelphia 76ers and star big man Joel Embiid are consulting doctors and considering alternative options for his injured left knee, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

The two sides chose this course after previous treatment options, including injections, did not provide any improvement, Charania added.

Injuries have always been a concern with Embiid, and this season has been no different.

He told reporters on Thursday when discussing his knee concerns, "The way I was playing a year ago, it's not the way I'm playing right now. It sucks. But I believe ... I probably need to fix the problem and then I'll be back at that level, but it's hard to have trust when you're not yourself."

The seven-time All-Star sat out from Jan. 4 to Feb. 4 with knee issues and, shortly after his return, said he might have to undergo an additional surgery on his left knee after the season.

Embiid underwent surgery in February 2024 to repair a meniscus injury and played just 39 games last season. He has never played more than 68 games in a season in his career and also missed his first two years in the league after he was the No. 3 overall pick of the 2014 NBA draft.

When healthy, Embiid can still be one of the best players in the NBA.

He is averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 0.9 blocks per game this season while shooting 44.4 percent from the field.

Philadelphia doesn't have another option in the frontcourt who can realistically replicate his overall impact, but it will likely give more minutes to the combination of Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele if Embiid is sidelined following the latest setback.

Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius Erving believes stars such as center Joel Embiid "have to find a way" to be available with the seven-time All-Star again struggling to stay on the court.

In an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Erving expressed concerns about the Sixers' ability to push for championships when Embiid misses so much time:

The 2022-23 NBA MVP has logged just 17 appearances so far this year, largely because of a lingering knee injury. While it's not the only reason, Embiid's limited availability has played a role in Philadelphia's 20-34 record and 11th-place standing in the Eastern Conference.

Erving's comments are nothing new in terms of general critiques toward the 7-footer or worries about his durability. This has long been the biggest knock on Embiid and the one overarching question surrounding his team.

Time and again, the 76ers have watched a playoff run unravel because its star big man is either out of action altogether or nursing an injury that leaves him at less than 100 percent.

ESPN's Tim Bontemps detailed in October how both Embiid and Philadelphia worked in the offseason toward the goal of keeping him healthy and ensuring he's performing at his peak come this spring and summer. Despite all of that effort, little has changed so far.

The Sixers and their fans have long hoped Embiid would help break a title drought that extends back to 1983, when Erving and Moses Malone swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.

The organization's window appears to be closing far quicker than expected, though.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid joked with Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton that he'd rather retire than join his team.

The interaction was captured as part of Netflix's Court of Gold documentary series, which showcase Team USA, Canada, Serbia and France's runs during last year's Summer Olympics men's basketball tournament (h/t @BASKETBALLonX).

“You gonna come to Indy?” Haliburton asked Embiid as the two were sitting courtside during a Team USA practice.

“I might wanna come to Indy. Sike! Never mind—I’d rather retire,” Embiid replied.

Embiid, Haliburton and Team USA ended up winning Olympic gold after an undefeated summer.

Since then, it's been a rough season for the 2022-23 NBA MVP and the 76ers, to the point where he'd be joining a much better team in a hypothetical scenario where he did play for the Pacers.

That of course isn't happening, but in the meantime, Embiid is scuffling through a tough year.

Not only has he dealt with numerous left knee issues that might lead to another surgery, but he's also played in just 17 games for the 76ers, averaging 24.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. It's also been a tough year for the Sixers, who currently sit 11th in the Eastern Conference at 20-34.

Plenty of questions loom for Philadelphia, who hoped to contend for a championship this year by adding Paul George and is now in danger of missing the playoffs. The 76ers will exit the All-Star break with a tough game at home Thursday against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics.

As the Philadelphia 76ers eye a potential push into the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, they are reportedly adding some backcourt depth.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported Tuesday the 76ers agreed to a two-year, $3 million deal with Lonnie Walker IV. Walker has not played in the NBA this season but has suited up for Zalgiris Kaunas in the Euroleague.

Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports noted the deal has a team option for the second year.

Walker entered the league as a first-round pick of the San Antonio Spurs in 2018 and has previously suited up for the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets.

He played 58 games for Brooklyn last season and averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 42.3 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from deep. While he is not a major addition, that type of outside shooting figures to help in Philadelphia when Paul George and Tyrese Maxey draw double-teams.

He'll especially be beneficial alongside Joel Embiid because of the attention the big man draws on the blocks.

Walker never fully lived up to the expectations that come with being a first-round pick, but he averaged better than 11 points per game in three straight seasons from 2020-21 through 2022-23 for the Spurs and Lakers.

He also shined on the national stage in the 2023 playoffs when he scored 15 points in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' Game 4 victory over the Golden State Warriors in the second round.

That type of production is much-needed in Philadelphia for a team that has lost five in a row and seven of its last eight. Yet even at 20-34, it is still just 1.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls for the final spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

Even a solid closing stretch to the season could put the 76ers in a position to make some noise in the playoffs. Walker will look to provide some secondary scoring as the team looks to turn things around in the immediate future.

An eye-opening bit of information regarding the knee issues Joel Embiid has dealt with this season was revealed on Sunday during ESPN's broadcast of the Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks:

Embiid, 30, has appeared in just 16 games during the 2024-25 season, most notably missing 15 straight games between January and early February due to ongoing issues with his left knee.

It's been that sort of year for the Sixers, who have dealt with massive injury concerns throughout the entire season, including to Paul George. But nobody has struggled to stay on the court more than Embiid, an unfortunate trend in an otherwise fantastic career.

There is hope that Embiid had put his injury issues behind him this season, especially after he registered a 29-point, 11-rebounds, 10-assist triple-double in his return to action on Feb. 4 against the Dallas Mavericks, though he was immediately ruled out for the next night's matchup against the Miami Heat.

That wasn't a major concern, of course—only playing one leg of back-to-backs has been a familiar theme in Embiid's career to ease his load management.

At this point, the Sixers are just hoping they can stay relatively healthy as they push for a playoff berth. The big three of Embiid, George and Tyrese Maxey has rarely shared the floor this season, a major disappointment after the the high expectations of the summer.

Perhaps a healthy Sixers team could still make some noise in the postseason, should they get there. For now, however, just keeping Embiid on the court is the primary goal, and it's obviously a major concern that he may be dealing with a somewhat balky knee until he's able to undergo another surgery and recovery period, likely after the season.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Justin Edwards has played his way into a full-time NBA deal.

After joining the Sixers on a two-way contract this summer, Edwards will finish out the season on a standard contract with a team option for 2025-26, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

According to Pompey, both Edwards and the Sixers "are interested in exploring a longer-term deal in the offseason."

After joining the league as an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky, Edwards has slotted into the Sixers' starting rotation over the team's last seven games.

Edwards played fewer than 10 minutes in four games while making sporadic starts for the Sixers in November and early January.

He first entered the rotation against the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 4 as the depleted Sixers looked to find replacements for injured players, including Joel Embiid, Jared McCain, Kelly Oubre Jr. and KJ Martin.

Edwards enjoyed a breakout game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 14, when he went 9-for-16 from the field to put up 25 points against one of the strongest defenses in the league.

That success, as well as the Sixers' myriad injuries, combined to earn Edwards the first start of his NBA career against the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 28.

In seven starts since then, Edwards has earned praise from Paul George, Tyrese Maxey and Nick Nurse while recording more than 31 minutes per game. Over that span, he has averaged 10.3 points and contributed 3.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game.

The injuries that have plagued the Sixers this season have contributed to a 20-31 record that has left the team outside the play-in bubble after the trade deadline.

On the bright side, they have also opened up playing time for Edwards— and the Philadelphia native has used the opportunity to play his way into the rotation and a standard contract.

Amid a frustrating, injury-plagued season, Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey seemed to give superstar center Joel Embiid a vote of confidence Friday.

According to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports, Morey said Friday that "Joel is core to everything we do."

Morey also defended the decision to sign Embiid to a three-year $192.9 million contract extension back in September, saying: "We thought it was the right move at the time, we think it's the right move now."

The 30-year-old Embiid has played in only 14 of the Sixers' 50 games this season, due primarily to knee injuries and a foot sprain.

This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

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Joel Embiid had jokes expense after a successful return to the court for the Philadelphia 76ers in Tuesday's 118-116 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Embiid joked he found a rhythm early in the game because he was scared of getting traded if he played poorly.

Embiid was obviously taking a playful swipe at the team the Sixers beat following the Mavs' stunning decision to trade Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon, part of the Mavericks' motivation for making the trade was "major concerns" about Dončić's conditioning going forward.

The concerns about conditioning have hovered around Embiid at times during his NBA career. He even said coming into this season that he dropped between 25 to 30 pounds in order to be healthy for a potential playoff run.

Things haven't worked out for Embiid or the 76ers to this point. The victory over the Mavs was just his 14th start of the season for Embiid. Philadelphia is currently out of the playoff and play-in mix in the Eastern Conference with a 20-29 record, but it's only one game behind the Chicago Bulls for the No. 10 seed.

Playing for the first time in exactly one month on Tuesday night, Embiid turned in arguably his best performance of the season. He finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 36 minutes for his first triple-double since Jan. 16, 2024.

The Sixers are 8-6 in 14 games with Embiid this season, compared to 12-23 without him. They're still firmly in the mix for at least a play-in spot, trailing the Chicago Bulls by one game for the No. 10 seed. They are only four games behind the Detroit Pistons in the sixth spot.

It's a dangerous game to bet on the 76ers to have any good luck with injuries this season, but there is a glimmer of hope that things can improve for the stretch run if Embiid stays on the court.