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Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to address appendicitis. The 76ers made two roster moves as a result.
Injuries keep piling on for Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid. The star center was ruled out on Thursday for the 76ers due to illness. The team announced that he will be out indefinitely after undergoing surgery for appendicitis.
This is struggling news for the 76ers, who are currently battling for a playoff spot with two games remaining in the regular season.
Embiid, 32, has continued his pattern of missing games this season. It will be the third season in a row that the former NBA MVP has missed more than half of the regular season.
76ers Waive Cam Payne, Convert Dalen Terry to NBA Deal
Joel Embiid is out indefinitely, drawing uncertainty on when he will return for the 76ers this season. As a result, Philadelphia made multiple roster moves on Friday.
Philadelphia signed forward Dalen Terry to a standard NBA deal on Friday. In a corresponding move in order to make room for Terry, the 76ers waived guard Cam Payne, The Athletics’ Tony Jones reported.
Terry, a 2022 first-round pick, has now found a secure home after being on three different NBA teams this season. The Chicago Bulls traded him to the New York Knicks ahead of the NBA trade deadline, and the Knicks then sent him to the New Orleans Pelicans, who would later waive the 23-year-old.
He would then sign with the 76ers on a two-way deal. With the numerous injuries Philadelphia has sustained for a second straight season, the team decided to sign him to a full-time NBA contract. The deal includes a team option for the 2026-27 season.
As for Cam Payne, the veteran point guard lasted one-and-a-half months with the 76ers before getting waived by the team on Friday. Philadelphia utilized Payne as a fill-in player while Tyrese Maxey was sidelined with a tendon injury in his pinky finger.
Maxey has since returned to action for the 76ers.
Joel Embiid’s Injury History
Embiid, 32, has continued his pattern of missing games this season. It will be the third season in a row that the former NBA MVP has missed more than half of the regular season.
When Joel Embiid is on the court, he’s dominant. However, unlucky injuries have kept him sidelined throughout his career.
After getting drafted by the 76ers in 2014, Embiid missed the first two seasons of his career after getting surgery to address a stress fracture in his right foot. Returning for his first season in the NBA, Embiid would then tear the meniscus in his left knee. This cut his 2017 season short and began a long list of knee issues.
Not to mention an orbital fracture and concussion that led to him missing action in the 2018 and 2022 playoffs, Joel Embiid’s knee problems would pop back up in 2019 with tendinitis. He would then partially tear his meniscus in 2021, sprain his LCL in 2023, and suffer another meniscus tear in 2024.
This season has been injury-riddled as well. Arthroscopic knee surgery following the 2024-25 season led the 76ers center to missing time at the start of 2025-26. He’s been dealing with ankle and knee setbacks throughout the regular season, resulting in 38 games played.
You can’t help but feel bad for one of this generation’s greatest talents, and the 76ers will have to play on without him moving forward.
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Toran Flores is a sports reporter located in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He’s covered news in the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. His work has been featured on platforms like FanSided, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Lakers All Day Everyday, and others.
In his free time, Toran enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active, and traveling. More about Toran Flores
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