Joel Embiid has sent a message to the Philadelphia 76ers, according to an NBA reporter.
Embiid and the Sixers were thrust into the limelight by a revealing ESPN article, which exposed Embiid’s lack of trust for his organization.
The 2023 NBA MVP had an injury-plagued season once again in 2024-25. He played only 19 games before undergoing knee surgery in April.
He told ESPN that this offseason is the most important of his career, as he looks to enter the upcoming season as healthy as possible. According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, he sent a clear message to his team.
Photo by Rob Carr/Getty ImagesJoel Embiid tells Philadelphia 76ers he is ‘in control’, says NBA reporter
Embiid’s mistrust of the 76ers is now well documented. That also extends to his recovery process. He told the Sixers that he is doing his rehab his own way this summer. He said that he won’t be rushing back as the team had asked him to do in the past.
Pompey, writing about Embiid’s recovery timeline, said, “Embiid doesn’t trust the organization, especially regarding when to return from his left-knee surgery. His comment reveals he’s in control now.
“The seven-time All-Star center is telling the Sixers that he’s done things their way in the past and it’s time to do things his way.”
Embiid’s recovery always remained behind closed doors, according to Pompey. Therefore, it’s difficult to gauge a timeline on his return to play. One thing is for certain, he won’t be back until he feels 100% ready.
Pompey said, “This time, he’s most likely not going to play until he feels like his old self, regardless of when that is. But who knows?
“Embiid returned in the 2023 Eastern Conference semifinals earlier than expected. We later found out that he kept his late-night, return-to-play workouts secret. That’s why it’s hard to give a percentage.”
VJ Edgecombe represents hope for the Philadelphia 76ers future
The 76ers went all in when they signed Paul George. Pairing him with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey set up a big three to challenge for the NBA championship. But last season they didn’t make the playoffs, and George just had knee surgery after an injury sustained in a workout.
Unless George can recover from this, that puts an end to Philadelphia’s title hopes. There is a silver lining for the organization’s future in their recently drafted rookie. VJ Edgecombe was one of the stars of the Summer League for the Sixers.
Pompey said about the rookie, “Edgecombe is one of the few players I was impressed with during the summer league. He dominated play in the Sixers’ contest against the Utah Jazz in the Salt Lake City Summer League on July 5.
“The 6-foot-5 guard also shrugged off a scoreless first half by scoring 17 second-half points in Tuesday’s victory over the Washington Wizards in the NBA 2K26 Summer League.”
He’s not a finished product by any means. Pompey said he “is not a starting point guard in this stage of his career”. But he does represent some light at the end of the tunnel once the 76ers have moved beyond this Embiid mess.