76ers' Daryl Morey 'Hopeful' Joel Embiid Can Return from Knee Injury This Season

Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is optimistic about superstar Joel Embiid returning to the court before the end of the season.

Morey told reporters on Friday that he's "hopeful" Embiid can return, revealing that he approached the Feb. 8 trade deadline with the mindset that the reigning MVP would be able to come back (per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer).

Embiid underwent meniscus surgery on Tuesday, with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that he will be re-evaluated in "approximately four weeks."

Prior to the surgery announcement, Embiid was on pace to earn his second consecutive MVP award if he was able to meet the 65-game threshold. In 34 starts, he averaged a career-high 35.3 points and 5.7 assists to go along with 11.3 rebounds per game.

Embiid also shot 53.3 percent from the field and canned 36.6 percent of his triples. The 76ers owned a 26-8 record when he was able to suit up, while his 10.1 net rating was the second-highest mark on the team among players to appear in at least five games (via NBA.com).

Although Tyrese Maxey has blossomed into an All-Star during his 2023-24 campaign, the 76ers have gotten off to a rough start following Embiid's procedure. Head coach Nick Nurse's team is just 1-3 in four games since, with the losses occurring by an average of 18.0 points.

Despite recording a 30-point game on Jan. 27, backup center Paul Reed has struggled to adjust to his new full-time role in the team's starting lineup. He's shown impressive defensive instincts to go along with his tremendous athleticism, but he hasn't come close to the offensive dominance that the former No. 3 overall pick has shown throughout his career.

Both Morey and Embiid will be hoping for a return that allows Philadelphia to build some momentum ahead of the postseason, as the 76ers have not advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2001 despite making the playoffs in each of the past six seasons.