Former MVP Joel Embiid will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his troublesome left knee next week, the Philadelphia 76ers announced Wednesday.
The decision comes as Embiid and the team search for longer-term solutions to address the injury, which limited the seven-time All-Star to a career-low 19 games this season.
Embiid has been ruled out for the rest of the regular season since late February. This will mark the second surgery on his left knee in a little more than a year.
The 2022-23 MVP experienced increased swelling in the knee after a Feb. 22 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, during which he had 14 points in 31 minutes. He has not played since.
It’s the latest chapter of a disappointing season for the injury-plagued 76ers, who came into the season with championship hopes after signing All-Star Paul George and extending young star Tyrese Maxey. George, however, has not played since March 4 and has been ruled out for the season with a left adductor injury. Maxey (finger) has been out since March 3 but has returned to practice.
The trio played in just 15 games together, with Philadelphia going just 7-8. As a whole, the 76ers (23-53) have dropped 26 of the last 30 and own the fifth-worst record in the league. They are on pace for the team’s fewest wins since 2015-16, the season before Philadelphia drafted Embiid. It is also the first time in eight years that the Sixers will miss the postseason.
As for Embiid, his 23.8 points per game stand as his fewest since 2019-20, while his 8.2 rebounds represent his lowest output since 2016-17. He also logged the fewest games played (19) and lowest field goal percentage (44.4) of his career.
