NBA Rumors: Joel Embiid Surgery Talk Surprised 76ers; Star Hoping for 'Cure-All'

The Philadelphia 76ers were caught off guard when Joel Embiid originally brought up the idea of undergoing another surgery on his knee.

Per NBA insider Jake Fischer, Embiid's disclosure about a potential procedure was a "surprise" to the Sixers.

Fischer also noted that Embiid is hoping for a "cure-all procedure" that will allow him to return to being one of the most dominant players in the NBA:

"According to those with knowledge of the situation, Embiid is still hoping for some sort of cure-all procedure that would allow him to return to his MVP form. Heading into this week, however, neither the Sixers' own medical staff nor any of the external doctors consulted throughout this saga had been able to pinpoint a clear-cut pathway to steering Embiid in his desired direction."

The initial admission from Embiid came during the 76ers' loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 9. ESPN's Lisa Salters reported on the ABC telecast of the game that Embiid told her he might need another surgery on his left knee.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Embiid explained he was "looking into every option" because the knee has been giving him frequent problems.

"I think the straightforward answer is that when you've got something that's inconsistent, at some point, you've got to do something about it," Embiid said. "We don't know what it is. We're looking into every option."

On Monday, Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Embiid was looking into four different "radical" procedures that could repair the damage in his knee.

The procedures range from microfracture surgery to meniscus replacement to low-dose radiation therapy or osteotomy. The latter involves breaking a bone in the hip to realign the joint. Recovery time for this procedures could range from six to 12 months.

Philadelphia is not yet at the point where it's considering shutting Embiid down for the remainder of this season.

"Not at that point at all," head coach Nick Nurse said on Monday. "Just, again, we are playing and testing and trying to figure it out and go from there."

The 76ers haven't yet announced Embiid's status for Saturday's game against the Golden State Warriors. He has sat out the last two games after playing 31 minutes in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 22.

Embiid had surgery in February 2024 to repair a meniscus injury in his left knee. He suffered the injury when Jonathan Kuminga landed on his leg diving for a loose ball in a game against the Warriors on Jan. 30, 2024.

Injuries have limited Embiid to just 19 games this season. The 30-year-old is averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per contest.