Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid entered the NBA as the No. 3 overall pick in 2014 and has since compiled an elite resume that includes seven All-Star appearances, five All-NBA nods, three All-Defensive honors and the 2023 league MVP award. He’s also a two-time scoring champion (2022, 2023) and won his first Olympic gold medal with Team USA in Paris last year.
Unfortunately, as dominant as he’s been on the court, Embiid has also dealt with several injuries over the course of his career that have limited him; over the past two NBA seasons alone, he’s played in a combined 58 of 164 possible games.
Embiid’s 2024–25 season in particular was derailed by persistent left-knee problems that limited him to 19 regular-season games before the team ruled him out for the year in late February.
The organization ultimately elected arthroscopic surgery in April to address lingering issues, including meniscal irritation and cartilage concerns. That procedure followed earlier left-knee surgery in February 2024, making the knee the central medical storyline of the past two years.
However, after months of rehab, senior NBA insider Chris Haynes reported on Friday that Embiid could make his preseason debut Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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The 76ers reported incremental returns to full-team activity through the summer and training-camp period, with Embiid progressing through 5-on-5 work and team scrimmages while still needing to “check more boxes” before being listed as fully game-ready.Â
Haynes’ report on Friday suggests that Embiid has checked those boxes, though also noting that the team staff has said he will be handled cautiously and likely on a strict workload plan as the regular season approaches.
“I want to caution people when you’re talking about Embiid,” Haynes said. “It does look good for him making the season opener, but if he does return, I am told he will be on a tight schedule. So, just because he returns, it doesn’t mean that he will be an everyday available player. They’re going to be very cautious throughout the rest of the season with him.”
“Based on what I’m hearing, I’ll be very surprised if he’s playing in back-to-backs,” Haynes added.
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Philadelphia slid to a 24–58 mark last season, finishing 13th in the Eastern Conference and missing the playoffs as injuries and inconsistent roster construction derailed expectations. Guard Tyrese Maxey led the team, averaging 26.3 points and 6.1 assists in 37.7 minutes, but also missed significant time (missed 30 games; played in just 52 games) with a finger/back issue.
For a 76ers team that fell well short of expectations a year ago, Embiid’s availability is the single largest variable affecting the franchise’s playoff odds in 2025-26.