Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee next week, according to a team official who spoke to ESPN. The operation aims to reduce some of the symptoms Embiid has been dealing with while allowing him to play better, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Sources added that Embiid is expected to make a full recovery and will be re-evaluated six weeks after the surgery is completed. This will be the second operation performed on Embiid’s left knee in the last 14 months.
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee next week, a team official tells ESPN. Embiid was ruled out for season in late February as he and the 76ers met with doctors to determine the best treatment to alleviate his knee issues. pic.twitter.com/3Be9DzYjfl
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 2, 2025
On February 28th, Embiid was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the 76ers due to his nagging knee injury. Prior to that announcement, Embiid had averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in just 19 games.
Embiid has never played a full season in the NBA. Since he was named the MVP in 2023, he has missed 100 regular-season games.
A disaster in Philly
I understand that Joel Embiid is an MVP-caliber player when he is healthy, but the guy is NEVER healthy. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Embiid’s best playing days are behind him. He’s a 31-year-old big man who has had an injury history littered with knee problems. Those things don’t tend to get better with age.
Don’t get me wrong. He still can be a great player and a key contributor on a championship team. However, he will never be the guy who leads the Philadelphia 76ers to a championship. Not only is he a playoff choker (his average points, rebounds, assists, and field goal percentage are all higher in the regular season), but it’s no longer safe to assume that he will be available late in the season.
Joel Embiid & the 76ers season summed up…. 😭 💀 😂 pic.twitter.com/JsAMzWnadL
— OutOfSightSports🚀™️ (@OOSSports) March 31, 2025
The problem for Philly is that he’s still under contract for the next three seasons and is owed $192.9 million. Even if the Sixers wanted to move on from him, I don’t think any team would be willing to take on that cap hit for a guy who will only play about 30 games a year.
They also signed another injury-prone 30+-year-old player this past off-season in Paul George. They gave him a four-year, $212 million contract. He returned the favor by starting 41 games before he was ruled out for the remainder of the season with his own knee injury.
With Embiid having another procedure done on his knee next week and Paul George turning 35 next month, the future is incredibly bleak for the 76ers. At least they hold their own draft pick, which is currently scheduled to be the fifth overall selection. Then again, that can change based on how the ping-pong balls bounce when the NBA Draft Lottery rolls around.
