The entire city of Philadelphia let out a collective sigh of relief on Friday, Oct. 17. After a tumultuous year in which a championship favorite crumbled to pieces due to a rush of injuries, including a particularly brutal result for franchise player Joel Embiid, the light at the end of the tunnel appeared.
After appearing in just 19 games in 2024-25, Embiid's long unknown return date has been confirmed: Tonight, via a shocking clearance to return to preseason action.
Embiid has appeared in just 58 regular season games since winning the NBA MVP award and a second career scoring title in 2022-23. Most alarming of all has been the general sense of uncertainty in regard to when he may actually be able to play again.
NBA insider Chris Haynes provided the update 76ers fans have been dreaming of when he revealed that Embiid has been cleared to play in the team's preseason finale on Oct. 17.
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid (knee) has been cleared to make his preseason debut tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves, league sources tell me. https://t.co/JkCtM3B8LP
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 17, 2025
Suddenly, the 76ers can see the light at the end of the tunnel after spending the past year facing agonizing uncertainty in regard to the direction of the franchise.
Joel Embiid finally cleared to return to action for 76ers
It's important to note that Embiid's preseason debut doesn't necessarily guarantee that he'll be regularly available in the early stages of the regular season. It's entirely possible that Philadelphia is simply testing how ready his body is to handle the pace and physicality of an NBA game.
The simple fact that he's returning to the court, however, should have 76ers fans grinning from ear to ear—and, more importantly, reveals how close Embiid is to 100 percent.
Philadelphia has been exceedingly cautious with Embiid's return from the arthroscopic surgery he underwent to resolve recurring issues with his left knee. As such, the fact that the medical team would clear him for the preseason finale on Oct. 17 instead of waiting until the regular season opener on Oct. 22 is a promising sign.
The 76ers still have unresolved injury concerns in regard to All-NBA wing Paul George and promising scoring guard Jared McCain, but the value of progress can't be underestimated.