76ers' Nurse Updates Joel Embiid's Knee Injury Rehab, Says 'All the News Is Positive'

One of the major storylines of the NBA offseason for the Philadelphia 76ers is the health of Joel Embiid's left knee, an injury that kept him sidelined for the majority of the 2024-25 season.

Updates haven't been terribly prevalent this offseason, causing some consternation in Philly, but head coach Nick Nurse provided one on Tuesday.

"All the news is positive," he told talkSPORT during Tuesday's Basketball Without Borders Europe camp in Manchester. "I know he's working very, very hard and I think things look good. Whether he's ready for training camp or not, I think there's maybe a lot more decisions than that to make before we get there. But our main thing is that he's healthy to play and play to his nearest capabilities, because he's awesome, no doubt about that."

There isn't a team in the NBA with a more dramatic variance of potential outcomes in the 2025-26 season than the Sixers.

Imagine, if you will, a team that has a healthy Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey for the majority of the season in an Eastern Conference that is pretty wide open. Those three are flanked by a solid group of role players, including Jared McCain, first-round pick VJ Edgecombe, restricted free agent Quentin Grimes (who likely will be in Philadelphia next season, even if it's on a qualifying offer), Kelly Oubre Jr., Justin Edwards, Eric Gordon and Trendon Watford, among others.

That group has tremendous upside. Embiid, George and Maxey are one of the most talented big threes in the sport, and the Sixers got a bit younger and more athletic around them this offseason.

But we've also seen what the Sixers look like if injuries become a factor, and for Embiid and George, injuries almost always become a factor. Last year's team won just 24 games—the ceiling is high, but the floor is just as low. Plus, we don't truly know how the Embiid-George-Maxey triumvirate will jell, given how little time they've actually had together.

And then there is the result that Sixers fans probably dread the most—the in-between scenario. Embiid and George stay healthy enough to keep the team in solid playoff positioning throughout the regular season but aren't 100 percent come the postseason, and the Sixers continue a near-annual trend of bowing out in the second round. Philly has never reached the Eastern Conference Finals during the Embiid era.

Nobody expects Embiid or George to play 82 games. Sixers fans would gladly take around 65 from each, with a clean slate of health come the playoffs. There is a world in which the Sixers are vying for a title. There is also a world in which they are right back near the top of the lottery. It's the sort of roller-coaster that Sixers fans have come to expect (and loathe), and Tuesday's update did little to provide a smoother ride.