CAMDEN, N.J. — Joel Embiid is progressing in his recovery from April knee surgery, 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said Wednesday night.
Morey’s update, attached to the first round of the NBA Draft in which the 76ers selected VJ Edgecombe third overall, was the first since Embiid underwent arthroscopic surgery 11 weeks ago. He was first re-evaluated six weeks on from the procedure.
“He’s very engaged, attacking rehab, doing everything he can to be out there,” Morey said. “He had a meeting with Dr. (Jonathan) Glashow this week. All things, to use the NASA term, nominal. All things are going well and expected. And we expect that to continue.”
When asked if Embiid would be ready for training camp, Morey stopped short of an emphatic declaration, saying, “things are on track to be ready right around there.”
Embiid, 31, tore the meniscus in his left knee in February 2024. It was operated on then, and he returned for the postseason, the 76ers losing a first-round series to the New York Knicks. The 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star won gold in the Olympics for Team USA last August but was not ready to start the 2024-25 regular season, partly in the name of NBA load management.
Once he got back, he suffered a facial fracture in November and a foot sprain in December. He played only 15 games with the Big 3 of Paul George and Tyrese Maxey.
Embiid’s health is paramount, especially with the Sixers using a high draft pick on the backcourt. That’s already an area of strength, with the All-Star Maxey, 2024 first-rounder Jared McCain and a promising young player in Quentin Grimes, a restricted free agent. Morey said he believes that “we’ll have one of the best backcourts in the league,” but that only magnifies the importance of Embiid’s influence.
“If you have a bunch of dynamic guards,” Morey said, “it’s hard to make it all work if you don’t have a big in there who’s making things hard on the other team.”
Morey indicated that in vetting Edgecombe, a 6-4 guard out of Baylor, the 76ers consulted Maxey, Embiid and George. Citing scheduling conflicts, only Maxey met with Edgecombe when he worked out for the team and met its front office.
