76ers' Joel Embiid Jokes He Wanted to Avoid Getting Traded in Return from Injury

Joel Embiid had jokes expense after a successful return to the court for the Philadelphia 76ers in Tuesday's 118-116 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Embiid joked he found a rhythm early in the game because he was scared of getting traded if he played poorly.

Embiid was obviously taking a playful swipe at the team the Sixers beat following the Mavs' stunning decision to trade Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon, part of the Mavericks' motivation for making the trade was "major concerns" about Dončić's conditioning going forward.

The concerns about conditioning have hovered around Embiid at times during his NBA career. He even said coming into this season that he dropped between 25 to 30 pounds in order to be healthy for a potential playoff run.

Things haven't worked out for Embiid or the 76ers to this point. The victory over the Mavs was just his 14th start of the season for Embiid. Philadelphia is currently out of the playoff and play-in mix in the Eastern Conference with a 20-29 record, but it's only one game behind the Chicago Bulls for the No. 10 seed.

Playing for the first time in exactly one month on Tuesday night, Embiid turned in arguably his best performance of the season. He finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 36 minutes for his first triple-double since Jan. 16, 2024.

The Sixers are 8-6 in 14 games with Embiid this season, compared to 12-23 without him. They're still firmly in the mix for at least a play-in spot, trailing the Chicago Bulls by one game for the No. 10 seed. They are only four games behind the Detroit Pistons in the sixth spot.

It's a dangerous game to bet on the 76ers to have any good luck with injuries this season, but there is a glimmer of hope that things can improve for the stretch run if Embiid stays on the court.