Report: 76ers' Joel Embiid Has LCL Sprain, Could Wear Brace to Manage Injury

Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid is reportedly dealing with a sprained LCL in his right knee.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported on the injury Monday, and Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer followed up Tuesday, reporting that Embiid could wear a brace on his knee if and when he returns during the Sixers' second-round playoff series:

While injuries have often been an issue for Embiid, the past two seasons have been the healthiest of his career.

In 2021-22, he played in a career-high 68 regular-season games, and he followed that up by appearing in 66 regular-season games this season, which is the second-highest mark of his career.

After the Sixers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in their first-round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets, Embiid was ruled out for Game 4 with a sprained knee.

The severity of the injury was unclear, although there was some thought that Philadelphia was taking a cautious approach since it could afford to with a commanding lead in the series.

Philly managed to close the Nets out in Game 4, giving Embiid some extra time to heal before the start of the second round.

Per Pompey, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday that there is no concrete update on Embiid's status, and there likely won't be one "for at least another couple of days."

On the heels of finishing second in the NBA MVP voting last season, Embiid put himself firmly in the mix for the award once again this campaign.

For the second consecutive year, Embiid won the NBA scoring title, averaging a career-high 33.1 points per game. He also averaged 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks, 1.0 steal and 1.0 three-pointer made while shooting a career-best 54.8 percent from the field.

The Sixers finished as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference behind the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics, but Embiid's elite-level play gave fans hope the team could finally get past the second round of the playoffs after five straight exits in the second round or earlier.

Philly also got big-time production out of James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris, making them one of the NBA's most complete teams.

If Embiid has to miss additional action, much of the burden to replace his output will be on Harden, Maxey and Harris, while Paul Reed, Jalen McDaniels, Dewayne Dedmon and Montrezl Harrell could play bigger roles as well.