With the Philadelphia 76ers gearing up for their concluding preseason matchup on Friday, their prominent center is set to participate. Sources indicate that 76ers center Joel Embiid has received the go-ahead to appear in his preseason debut versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to reports.
Embiid’s participation marks his initial game since February, following his shutdown for the remainder of the 2024-25 season due to discomfort in his left knee. Embiid had arthroscopic knee surgery performed in April.
Embiid did not elaborate significantly on his condition during Philadelphia’s media day a month prior, noting that he felt “pretty good.”
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“There isn’t really a particular aim,” Embiid stated. “The objective is sustained play and to avoid the circumstances we encountered last year.”
[Obtain additional Sixers updates: Philadelphia team feed]
The previous season proved disappointing for the 76ers, who finished 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 24-58 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Along with Embiid, Paul George—Philadelphia’s marquee acquisition last offseason—also dealt with injuries and underwent knee surgery during the summer.
The Sixers envisioned a powerful trio consisting of Embiid, George, and star guard Tyrese Maxey; however, the three played together in only 15 games throughout the entire season.
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As the 2025-26 season approaches, challenges from the prior year persist. Jared McCain, who missed much of his rookie season last year with a meniscus issue, faces injury once more, having torn his UCL in his right thumb the previous month. George was not a consistent participant in training camp due to recovery from surgery and has yet to play in a preseason game.
Philadelphia is scheduled to commence the regular season on the road against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday—with the hope of maintaining the health of their roster for an extended period.
