Joel Embiid Injury Rumors: 76ers 'Will Be Extremely Cautious' with Star's Return

The Philadelphia 76ers are going to be careful with Joel Embiid as he works his way back from the knee injury he suffered March 12 against the Washington Wizards.

Per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the Sixers "will be extremely cautious" with Embiid "to make sure he's 100 percent ready to go for the playoffs."

Haynes noted there isn't an established return date for Embiid, but he will be re-evaluated at the end of this week.

The 27-year-old has averaged 29.9 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 blocks per game for the 76ers, who are first in the Eastern Conference with a 30-13 record.

Embiid has been enjoying his best season since first stepping on to an NBA court in 2016, with a 50-point, 17-rebound performance against the Chicago Bulls serving as one of its highlights. The NBA MVP candidate has been a catalyst in putting Philadelphia at the forefront of the Eastern Conference race.

The Kansas product has made four All-Star Games, two All-NBA teams and two All-NBA Defensive teams.

Embiid missed a handful of games during the first half of the season but never sat more than two at a time before he suffered a left knee bone bruise during a 127-101 win over the Wizards.

Without Embiid, look for the 76ers to ask Dwight Howard to play more minutes. The backup big is averaging 6.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.