On Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers announced that Joel Embiid [will undergo arthroscopic surgery](https://thesixersense.com/the-76ers-have-suddenly-broken-the-silence-on-joel-embiid-s-treatment-plan-01jqw8qj69m5) on his left knee next week and will be re-evaluated in six weeks. This decision was made over a month after Embiid was shut down for the remainder of the season in late February. Considering the time between both announcements, 76ers fans were left curious about how Embiid and Philadelphia’s staff came to this conclusion. Today, more light was shed on this situation.
Joel Embiid and the 76ers explored "radical options"
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This afternoon, Shams Charania appeared on ESPN’s show “First Take” and stated that Embiid and the 76ers explored radical options regarding treatment of his left knee: “Joel Embiid, really over the last month-and-a-half met with tons of doctors, specialists trying to figure out exactly where this goes. They looked at some radical options for that knee that included options that would’ve sidelined him for next season, too.”
If there were possible surgeries that would rule Embiid out for the entirety of the 2025-26 season, it’s interesting how he and the 76ers concluded arthroscopic surgery. Yesterday, Charania reported that the goal of this procedure is to reduce the symptoms Embiid has felt in his left knee and that he’s also expected to make a full recovery.
The priority regarding Embiid should be getting him a clean bill of health no matter the consequences. While the information surrounding the “radical” procedures is vague, it’s fair to imagine that considering the extensive timetable, that said procedures would have likely allowed for Embiid to return to his dominant self. Perhaps the arthroscopic procedure will have the same effect, but ultimately, time will tell.
There's tension between Joel Embiid and the 76ers
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Still, that wasn’t the most unsettling report that Charania gave. He also revealed that tension between Embiid and the 76ers’ front office is something to keep in mind heading into the upcoming offseason: “One thing as well to keep in mind here going into the offseason, there was some tension there between Joel Embiid and that front office, from my understanding. The team believed he needed to play at some point. He felt like he needed surgery.”
Heading into this season, Philadelphia and Embiid elected to aggressively load-manage him so that he would be healthy for when the postseason starts. Needless to say, that strategy didn’t go to plan as Embiid played his last game of the season on February 22nd and the 76ers were eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday.
Throughout the year, it was reported that Embiid [believed he needed another procedure](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/43769623/76ers-embiid-acknowledges-need-another-knee-surgery), but at the time, he continued to suite up by receiving injections in his troubled knee. To some degree, Embiid’s hypothesis was proven right and once he undergoes his upcoming procedure, it’s essential for him and Philadelphia to be on the same page. If not, the 76ers could usher in a new era sooner than later due to the nature of the NBA.