Joel Embiid has decided on his next step.
The Sixers released the following statement Wednesday on their star center, who was ruled out for the season on Feb. 28 because of persistent left knee problems:
"Following consultations with medical experts, it has been determined that Joel Embiid will undergo arthroscopic surgery next week to address his left knee. Further updates will be provided following the procedure."
ESPN's Shams Charania reported Embiid “will be re-evaluated in six weeks and is expected to make a full recovery.”
Embiid had been considering treatment options. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse recently said that the team’s vice president of athlete care, Simon Rice, was also a key part of those conversations with doctors.
Embiid publicly indicated multiple times this season that non-surgical approaches were not working and his knee continued to bother him. He ultimately played in just 19 games for the injury-riddled Sixers, who have fallen far out of playoff contention.
"I wish I could play every game,” Embiid said on Feb. 4. "My goal is to be available and play every game. Whatever God decides, from that point on, I can’t control it. I can only control what I can do every single day, what I should focus on, what keeps me on the floor. And whatever happens, happens.
"I don’t really worry about how many games I’m going to play, how much I’m going to be available. The goal is to be available every single night and if God wants it to happen, good. If he doesn’t, back to the drawing board.”
The Sixers went 8-11 in his appearances and Embiid averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists. For the most part, he did not come close to reaching the MVP contender level he'd grown accustomed to over the prior four seasons.
“The way I was playing a year ago is not the way I’m playing right now and it sucks,” Embiid said on Feb. 20. “But I believe I probably need to fix the problem and I’ll be back at that level. But it’s hard to have the trust when you’re not yourself.
“I’m not as dominant as I was a couple months ago, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t have a lot of impact on the game. ... But my dominant self, I’ll get there. It’s just tough because you know you can do so much more. There’s no excuses; it’s just the way it is. Just got to keep finding ways to figure it out and get better.”
Last February, Embiid underwent surgery on his left lateral meniscus. He returned for the end of the regular season and the playoffs, then played in the Paris Olympics and earned a gold medal with Team USA.
He missed the beginning of the 2024-25 regular season. The Sixers started horrendously and never truly recovered. They’ve used an NBA-record 52 different starting lineups and are 23-53 overall.
Along with Embiid, Paul George (adductor and left knee injuries), Jared McCain (left lateral meniscus surgery) and Eric Gordon (right wrist surgery) have been ruled out for the remainder of the year. Tyrese Maxey hasn’t played since March 3 because of a right finger sprain.
