Joel Embiid will undergo arthroscopic surgery next week to address his left knee injury

Keith Pompey, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Apr 2, 2025

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PHILADELPHIA — Another left knee surgery is the decision for Joel Embiid.

The 76ers announced Wednesday that after consultations with medical experts, it was determined that the seven-time All-Star will undergo arthroscopic surgery next week.

This comes after the determination on Feb. 28 that Embiid was medically unable to play and would remain sidelined for the remainder of the season to focus on treatment and rehabilitation. The 2023 league MVP will be reevaluated six weeks after the surgery and is expected to make a full recovery, a source said.

Embiid played only 19 games this season. His averages of 23.8 points and 8.2 rebounds were the fourth- and second-lowest, respectively, in his nine NBA seasons. He also shot career lows from the field (44.4%) and on 3-pointers (29.9%).

The procedure will mark the second surgery on Embiid’s knee in 14 months. He had surgery on Feb. 6, 2024, after suffering a torn meniscus in his knee seven days earlier in a game against the Golden State Warriors.

This season has been a disappointment from the start for Embiid, who has yet to recover from last year’s knee problem.

The 7-foot-2 center returned with seven games left in the 2023-24 regular season and missed two of those games for load management. He was limited by the injury to close the season and during the team’s first-round playoff series loss to the New York Knicks. He continued to wear a knee brace while helping Team USA win a gold medal last summer in the Paris Olympics.

His issues persisted as the 2024-25 season kicked into gear. Embiid missed the entire preseason and first six games of the season for management of the knee injury. After that, he served a three-game suspension for an off-court altercation. Then, on Nov. 18, the Sixers held a team meeting after a road loss to the Miami Heat. During the meeting, Tyrese Maxey reportedly called out Embiid for lateness and explained how that affected the locker room.

After a rough patch that included seven missed games, a sinus fracture, and an ejection that ended with a tense standoff with referee Jenna Schroeder, Embiid was back to producing high-scoring performances. He played in five of six games and crossed the 25-point mark five straight times.

He finished that stretch with a 28-point, 12-rebound, six-assist effort in just three quarters against the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 4. It was his fourth double-double of the season and second in a row. But the euphoria was short-lived, as Embiid missed the next 15 games with a sprained left foot and the team again managed his knee injury.

He had a 29-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double upon his return on Feb. 4 against the Dallas Mavericks. Embiid then averaged 25.7 points and 10.3 rebounds in his next three games. In sharp contrast, he was a shell of himself in the last two games he played this season, averaging 14.5 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 31.8 % — including going 0 for 8 on 3-pointers.

In his last game, Embiid had a tough time moving in a loss to the Nets on Feb. 22. The 31-year-old was benched for the entire fourth quarter.

Before that, he told ESPN on Feb. 8 that he might need offseason surgery and an extended rest period to get back to playing at an elite level.

A dejected Embiid doubled down after a loss to the Boston Celtics on Feb. 20. He said he needed to “fix the problem” in his left knee to return to his All-Star form. Embiid scored 15 points on 3-for-9 shooting against the Celtics.

Now, Embiid’s getting the surgery.