The Philadelphia 76ers said Friday that Superstar Center Joel Embiid will miss the remainder of the regular season as he and the team continue to find long-term solutions to solve a lingering left knee injury.
Joel Embiid of Philadelphia 76ers conducted a new imaging Monday and has been consulting top experts
Embiid’s swelling in his knee increased after losing to the Brooklyn Nets Saturday night. The 7-foot man also had a new imaging Monday to determine why his knees didn’t respond well to the treatment regimen he received this season.
Here is the official statement of 76ers:
“The Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid have been consulting with senior experts on ongoing issues with his left knee. After further evaluation, it has been determined that he is medically unable to play and will miss the rest of the season to focus on treatment and recovery.
— Philadelphia 76ers (@Sixers) February 28, 2025
“We are working with medical experts to determine the exact treatment plan and update the media when more information is available. The team and experts will continue to work with Joel to ensure the best path forward for long-term health and performance.”
The Sixers and Embiid consulted dozens of doctors and experts to determine the best path forward for the seven-time All-Star Game. Throughout the season, Embiid tried to work with knee pain, hoping it would improve with better conditioning.
Embiid’s left knee pain and swelling increased
However, Joel Embiid also received several injections throughout the season to reduce enough swelling and discomfort to allow him to play and fit the 76ers. Pain and swelling did not increase, not as progress progressed.
Last season, Embiid played only 39 games after bent under his knees. His left knee has been a problem since he suffered a injury in January 2024.
The former first-rounder had surgery in early February and returned in early April as part of the Philadelphia playoff run before winning a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team in the summer.
He admitted earlier this month he didn’t have enough time to recover after the surgery. This is obvious in court. Philadelphia only scored 7-8 this season, when Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey competed together.
For most of the 2024-25 season, 76ers were paid $164.2 million in salary
More importantly, the Philadelphia 76ers have $164.2 million in player salaries for most of the season — about 88.58% of the organization’s payroll.
In September, Joel Embiid signed a three-year, $192.9 million contract extension, guaranteeing the former MVP a total of $299.5 million in the 2028-29 season.
Embiid also rejected the $59 million player option for the 2026-27 season before signing the extension of the new contract. According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, he will earn $69 million in the final year of the new deal.
Despite no back-to-back hits, Embiid has never been healthy for any duration of this campaign. He played in just 19 games, meaning he missed 39 of Philadelphia’s 58 games.
In Saturday’s losses, Embiid was slow to wake up when he lost at the end of the third quarter and fell to the court. The Kansas product scored just 14 points in 31 minutes and missed all six 3-pointers before being substituted in his fourth inning.
Joel Embiid scored 15 points or less for the first time in a row since May 2021
The pressure of knee injury is noteworthy in Embiid’s final two games this season, as Embiid scored 15 points or less in back-to-back games for the first time since May 2021.
The 76ers’ 2024-25 season was destined from the beginning. It began with a league investigation into players’ participation policy, which later fined $100,000, and the organization’s public comment fines for basketball business president Daryl Morey and coach Nick Hurse, did not accurately reflect Embiid’s knee health problems.
Additionally, the NBA then released three games in early November to push Embiid Philadelphia Inquirer Columnist Marcus Hayes is in the locker room after the Memphis Grizzlies lost.
The 76ers (20-38) have nine consecutive games, with 11 of the last 12 games. But that could be good news for the Sixers as they broke the draw with the Brooklyn Nets and had a record of sixth in the NBA.
Philadelphia’s first-round draft pick in 2025 is protected by the top six, but it will be in the Oklahoma City Thunder if it falls outside the top six.
If the Sixers are ranked sixth in the lottery standings, they will have about 45.8% chance of hanging on the first round. If these odds fall to the fifth-beyond, they will increase to about 64%.
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