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Knicks Rival Joel Embiid Done for Season

New York Knicks rival and reported trade target Joel Embiid will be shut down for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
Geoff Maggliocchetti|
Nov 12, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) shoots the ball in front of New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Nov 12, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) shoots the ball in front of New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks won't be seeing one of their public enemies—or reported trade targets—for the rest of the 2024-25 season.

The Philadelphia 76ers announced that they would be shutting down Joel Embiid for the remainder of the season. The 2023 NBA MVP has been plagued by knee issues all year and will officially be rested as Philadelphia (20-38) continues to lose ground in the NBA postseason picture.

"After further evaluation, it has been determined that [Embiid] is medically unable to play and will miss the remainder of the season to focus on treatment and rehabilitation," the 76ers said in a statement. "We are working with medical experts to determine the exact treatment plan and will update media when we have more information. The team and specialists will continue working with Joel to ensure the best path forward for his long-term health and performance."

News of the shutdown emerges less than 48 hours after the Embiid-less Sixers dropped their ninth consecutive game on Wednesday night, a 110-105 decision to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Embiid holds a bitter reputation with Knicks fans after his overly physical play during the opening round of last year's Eastern Conference playoffs. Despite his efforts, the Knicks won the series in six games. But NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on Thursday that, despite the supposed hostilities, the Knicks were ready to mortgage their future in an Embiid trade, one that did not come to fruition after they instead set their sights on Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns.

"Once upon a time, Philly presumably could have extracted every draft pick that New York possessed before it splurged on trades for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns," Fischer reported. "The Knicks were always the rival threat, sources said, that Sixers officials knew was waiting to pounce if Embiid ever reached the trade market."

Entering the weekend, the 76ers sit in 12th place on the Eastern Conference leaderboard, 2.5 games behind Chicago for the fourth and final Play-In Tournament spot. The 76ers' upcoming first-round pick carries protection within the first six choices of the 2025 draft and they currently hold the sixth-best odds at this spring's lottery. Should they fall out of the top six on the board, the pick will transfer to Oklahoma City as part of a 2020 trade.

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Geoff Magliocchetti
GEOFF MAGGLIOCCHETTI

Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.

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