The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to have a pretty eventful offseason once again. Thanks to the putrid product they turned in this season, the front office will look to make effectuate changes in order to bolster the team’s comeback trail ahead of the 2025-26 season.
While the front office will not be able to enjoy having a boatload of cap space for their perusal this time around unlike last year, there is still a lot to look forward to for the franchise. For the first time in a long while, they could have a top pick in the draft, and the 2025 iteration is widely anticipated to have a deep and talented pool of prospects. There is also free agency to make the most out of.
Still, what remains at the crux of the 76ers’ outlook moving forward is the situation of Joel Embiid. Philly has long operated under the theory of Embiid being able to lead them as the indubitable superstar on the team, and the way the squad is constructed, there is really no deviating from this path. Hence, his availability takes center stage.
Renowned doctor gives a murky outlook for the 76ers after new Joel Embiid injury update
After weeks of complete silence on the matter, the 76ers finally casted light on the latest with Embiid. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the All-Star will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee next week and he will be re-evaluated in six weeks. The team is also expecting him to make a full recovery.
Sounds promising, right? Well, it may just be yet another band-aid solution.
According to Brian Sutterer, a well-known sports doctor in NBA circles, the timeline laid out by the 76ers suggest a mere surgical debridement which, while helpful in addressing pain and other attendant symptoms in the short-term, could actually have unpleasant repercussions for Embiid’s knee in the long-term.
If so, this only means that Philadelphia and Embiid’s camp have not yet found a sustainable formula to accommodate Embiid’s seamless return to action. Put simply, expecting the 2023 Most Valuable Player to perform in his peak level next season is probably too detached from the reality of the situation.
Philadelphia 76ers fans can only hope that this is not the lone solution on deck for Joel Embiid. After all, with the way things are, there is simply no way the franchise can even sniff contention without its best player functioning well.