Title: Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid Strategizing Options for Knee Injury Recovery
Post:
The Philadelphia 76ers and their star player, Joel Embiid, are currently exploring various options for his knee injury recovery. As one of the key players for the team, Embiid’s health is of utmost importance for their success in the upcoming season. The team is leaving no stone unturned in finding the best possible solution for his recovery, ensuring that he is back on the court stronger and better than ever.
Stay tuned for updates on how the 76ers and Embiid are navigating through this injury setback and working towards a successful recovery plan. #TrustTheProcess #JoelEmbiid #76ers #InjuryRecovery.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – DECEMBER 28: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during a game … [+] against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on December 28, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
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Less than three weeks to go until the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline, the Philadelphia 76ers’ season is circling the drain.
Heading into Saturday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, the Sixers are 15-24, which puts them 11th in the Eastern Conference. They’re only 1.5 games behind the 10th-seeded Chicago Bulls for the final spot in the East play-in tournament, but they’re now 4.5 games behind the No. 9 seed Miami Heat. It’s looking increasingly likely that they’ll have to win two road games in the play-in tournament just to draw a first-round matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
There’s no guarantee that the Sixers will even surpass the Bulls and qualify for the play-in tournament, though. They’re currently riding a four-game losing streak, and 12 of their next 13 opponents are either .500 or above. The lone exception is the Bulls, whom they face on the second night of a back-to-back later this month.
They’ll likely be doing so without star center Joel Embiid. On Friday, the Sixers announced Embiid experienced “an increase in swelling” in his surgically repaired left knee following a workout. He’s set to miss at least the Sixers’ next three games and will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days.
Embiid has played in only 13 games this season due to a combination of knee, face and ankle injuries. The odds of him staying healthy from here on out and guiding the Sixers on a deep playoff run this season seem slim to none. That should alter their strategy heading into the trade deadline, as they now have far less incentive to make a win-now move.
The Original Plan
Had the Sixers stayed healthy and lived up to their preseason expectations as a top-tier championship contender, their trade-deadline plan seemed fairly straightforward.
This past offseason, the Sixers signed KJ Martin to a two-year, $16 million contract that was well above what he otherwise would have received in free agency. They didn’t just do that out of the kindness of their hearts, though. They were giving themselves a decent-sized contract to dangle at the trade deadline.
Because the Sixers are over the $178.1 million first apron, they aren’t allowed to take back more salary via a standard trade exception than they send out in any deal. They are allowed to aggregate two smaller contracts for a bigger salary since they’re below the $188.9 million second apron, though.
In essence, they signed Martin to give themselves an $8 million contract that they could use for salary-matching in a trade. The Suns did the same thing with Josh Okogie, whom they signed to a two-year, $16 million deal this past offseason. They just shipped him to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday with three second-round picks for center Nick Richards and a 2025 Denver Nuggets second-rounder.
The Sixers are top-heavy in terms of salary. Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey are their only three players earning at least $9 million this season. Unless they trade one of those three, it’d be extremely difficult for them to acquire someone earning north of $20 million this season. Aggregating Martin with Eric Gordon ($3.3 million) would allow them to easily land someone in the $10-11 million range, though.
However, given the state of Embiid’s knee, the Sixers now have far less incentive to do so.
The Pivot
The second year of Martin’s contract is fully non-guaranteed until Jan. 10, 2026. If the Sixers move him by this year’s trade deadline, whichever team he lands on could waive him this summer and be left with no dead cap hit. In essence, he could be treated as an $8 million expiring contract.
However, since Martin is under contract through 2025-26, the Sixers don’t have to move him by the trade deadline. They could revisit those conversations this offseason or ahead of next year’s deadline. He wouldn’t have the same cap-relief benefit for whichever team acquires him—the Sixers would have to guarantee whichever portion of his contract they’d need for salary-matching purposes in a trade—but that’s still an option for them.
If the Sixers weren’t scuffling, they might have been more willing to move Martin for a player on an expiring contract, much like they did with Buddy Hield at last year’s trade deadline. They have less incentive to risk giving up assets for a potential short-term rental if they have little hope of competing for a championship this season, though.
Instead, the Sixers should pivot the other way and trade veterans who don’t fit into their long-term vision for any assets they can procure. It’s unlikely that they’d fetch much for Gordon, Andre Drummond or Reggie Jackson, but getting something for them now is better than potentially losing them for nothing in free agency this summer.
Kelly Oubre Jr. and Guerschon Yabusele might now be their two toughest decisions. Oubre has an $8.4 million player option for next season that he could decline to become an unrestricted free agent, while Yabusele is only on a one-year, veteran-minimum contract. Both could walk as free agents this offseason and leave the Sixers empty-handed.
The Sixers do have Early Bird rights on Oubre, which will allow them to offer him a four-year contract worth slightly more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. That should be enough to keep him in the fold, provided that they’re both interested in continuing their partnership. However, the Sixers have only non-Bird rights on Yabusele, so they’re fairly limited in how much they can offer him this summer.
If the Sixers aren’t optimistic about their chances of re-signing Oubre or Yabusele in free agency, it’d be worth exploring their market over the next few weeks. Trading either player for draft picks and/or young prospects would suggest that the Sixers are throwing in the towel on this season, but Embiid’s ongoing knee issues might have forced their hand in that regard.
Given the long-term uncertainty regarding Embiid’s health, the Sixers should not consider trading one of their distant first-round picks (2029 or 2031) at this year’s deadline. They also shouldn’t be willing to dangle the fully unprotected 2028 first-round pick that the Los Angeles Clippers owe them unless it’s for a home run on a multi-year contract.
The Sixers owe their 2025 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it falls outside the top six, so they’re less incentivized to tank than an injury-ravaged team in their position otherwise would be. However, that’s a sunk cost at this point. If the Sixers burn assets to salvage what’s left of this season, they’d just be doubling down on that mistake.
With Joel Embiid recently suffering a knee injury that will sideline him for an extended period of time, the Philadelphia 76ers should seriously reconsider their approach to the upcoming trade deadline. Embiid, who is the team’s star player and a vital piece of their championship aspirations, will be sorely missed on the court.
Without Embiid in the lineup, the Sixers will undoubtedly struggle to maintain their position in the Eastern Conference standings. This should prompt the team’s front office to explore potential trade options to bolster their roster and fill the void left by their injured center.
While it may be tempting to stand pat and wait for Embiid to return, the Sixers cannot afford to waste this opportunity to strengthen their team. They should be aggressive in pursuing trades that can improve their depth and provide additional scoring and defensive support in Embiid’s absence.
Ultimately, the Sixers’ trade-deadline strategy should be focused on maximizing their chances of success in the playoffs, even without their star player. Making the right moves now can help ensure that they remain competitive and positioned for a deep postseason run.
The Philadelphia 76ers will continue the road trip on Saturday when they take on the Utah Jazz for the second of a 6-game road trip and one has to wonder about the status of Joel Embiid.
The big fella took a bit of a spill before the Christmas Day win over the Boston Celtics. During Embiid’s warm ups, he took a fadeaway triple before tumbling to the floor into the rope the TD Garden security team had on the sidelines. He was then grabbing at his ankle.
Of course, Embiid played in the contest and had 27 points in 31 minutes, but he is questionable for this contest against the Jazz due to a left foot sprain.
“I stepped on a security guard and just twisted it,” Embiid said after the win before adding: “Just a little sore, but it’s Christmas. Gotta play on Christmas.”
It remains to be seen if Embiid will be able to go against the Jazz, but one has to believe he will be able to fight through it the way he did in Boston.
Tip off against the Jazz is set for 9:30 p.m. EST from Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
Joel Embiid’s status vs. Jazz on the road: What to expect
Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid has been dealing with a lingering knee injury that has kept him out of several games recently. As the Sixers prepare to face off against the Utah Jazz on the road, fans are eager to know whether Embiid will be suiting up for the game.
According to reports, Embiid’s status for the game against the Jazz is still uncertain. The team is taking a cautious approach with their star player, as they want to ensure that he is fully healthy before returning to action. Embiid has been a key player for the Sixers this season, averaging 29.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game.
If Embiid is unable to play, the Sixers will have to rely on their other key players to step up and fill the void. Players like Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Seth Curry will need to elevate their game in order to compete against the tough Jazz team on the road.
Fans will have to wait and see whether Embiid will be able to take the court against the Jazz, but regardless of his status, the Sixers will need to bring their A-game in order to come out on top in this challenging matchup. Stay tuned for updates on Joel Embiid’s status and be sure to tune in to see how the Sixers fare against the Jazz on the road.
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