Joel Embiid (left knee injury management) will be out for the Sixers' home game against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, the team said after Friday afternoon's practice. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said that the team is hoping to have a more significant update on Embiid's future "shortly," and told the media "you'll have something soon."
The 2024-25 season has been the season from hell for Embiid, culminating last week in Embiid watching from the bench for an entire fourth quarter as the Sixers found new life without him on the floor. As the Sixers lost game after game, regardless of who was available, it became increasingly obvious that Embiid was not in condition to be playing consistently because of reduced mobility caused by a damaged left knee.
Embiid, who will turn 31 years old in a few weeks, signed three-year contract extension with the team in September worth a projected $193 million — tying him to the Sixers for five years. He was cemented as the true cornerstone of the organization for many more years to come after a brilliant 2023-24 regular season campaign was cut short due to a torn meniscus in that knee, which ended up limiting his movement during the playoffs shortly after returning.
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After the game on Feb. 22 in which he was benched, Embiid reportedly experienced increased swelling in that knee yet again. He has only played in 19 of the team's 58 games this season, and while he has had a few games and stretches of excellent play, Embiid's effectiveness has greatly diminished along with his availability.
Given the Sixers' lengthy losing streak — which reached nine with Wednesday's loss to the New York Knicks — and the looming potential of keeping their first-round pick if it lands in the top six, many have spent the last few weeks calling for Embiid to be shut down, preventing any further injury and helping the Sixers increase their odds of landing that draft choice.
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