Joel Embiid (right knee injury management) has been downgraded from doubtful to out for the Sixers' home contest against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
Embiid, who has missed seven of the Sixers' 13 games to date, has not played since Nov. 8, the last time the Raptors were in town. Embiid recorded season-highs in points and minutes; it was without a doubt his best performance of the 2025-26 season. He sat out the next night with left knee injury management as the Sixers completed a weekend back-to-back, and was set to return to action on Nov. 11.
But at the team's morning shootaround that day, Embiid reported soreness in his right knee – not the left one which has been the subject of immense scrutiny and multiple surgeries in recent years. He missed two games with right knee soreness, then missed another with the new right knee injury management designation. Embiid was initially listed as doubtful to return on Wednesday, typically an encouraging sign for the former NBA MVP.
But now Embiid has been ruled out for the front end of this back-to-back, which means he will miss at least five games in a row, with the last four being caused by this right knee issue. The earliest he could return is Thursday night when the Sixers face the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Bucks in Milwaukee.
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