NBA Insider Offers Promising Update on Sixers Star Joel Embiid

The Philadelphia 76ers could get Joel Embiid back as soon as Tuesday's game.

Nov 25, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) shoots as | Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Soon, the Philadelphia 76ers could get a huge boost as their All-Star big man Joel Embiid is on pace to make his return as soon as this week.

Last week, Embiid retuned to practice for the first time since suffering a meniscus injury back in January. Shortly after the Sixers wrapped up a session last Thursday, Nick Nurse revealed that Embiid was set to travel with the team for the first time during his recovery.

When the Sixers took on the Cleveland Cavaliers last Friday, Embiid was ruled out. While the door was left open for a potential return in Sunday’s game against the Toronto Raptors, the Sixers continued to roll without the big man.

Embiid’s presence on the road allowed the Sixers to integrate the star center in their practice sessions. Considering Embiid hasn’t played since the trade deadline passed, he has yet to share the court with the tweaked roster.

This week offers Embiid an opportunity to get back into basketball shape and quickly build chemistry with some of his new teammates. At the moment, the Sixers still don’t have an exact return date in place, but Embiid’s status for Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder has not been decided just yet, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

This season, Embiid appeared in 34 games for the Sixers. Before going out with a multi-month recovery, Embiid averaged a career-high of 35 points per game while shooting 53 percent from the field and 37 percent from three.

Embiid also came down with 11 rebounds per game, and flashed growth in the passing department as he dished out a career-high of six assists per game throughout the year. Lately, the Sixers have really missed the MVP’s two-way dominance. While the season didn’t play out the way they had hoped, at least the Sixers can find comfort in the idea that their most prominent player is on pace to make a return.