Joel Embiid suffered another injury setback and will be out at least another week, per the Philadelphia 76ers in a press release. Embiid, who has missed the last six games, has swelling in the left knee and will be reevaluated in 7-to-10 days. Therefore, the “Big Fella” projects to miss at least five more games.
Joel Embiid’s Injury Setback Could Dictate 76ers’ Future Plans, George Injury Update and 4 Trade Candidates
Philadelphia (15-24) begins a three-game road trip at Indiana (23-19) tonight. The 76ers have lost four straight and seven of their last nine. The Sixers are 11th in the East, one-and-one-half games behind 10th-place Chicago and six games behind Orlando.
Philadelphia, expected to be a major contender in the East, has failed to stay healthy this year. While the Sixers have a winning record with Embiid in the lineup, the 76ers are 8-17 without the 7-footer.
Embiid is not the only Sixer dealing with injuries, as rookie Jared McCain is out for the season. Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin also have been ruled out against the Pacers, running their absence streaks to seven and four, respectively. KJ Martin also won’t play against the Pacers, meaning he will sit out 13 straight contests and doesn’t have an official timetable to return.
Some positive injury news is that Andre Drummond is listed as probable for tonight. Drummond has missed the past six games with a toe injury. If Drummond does play, he could start in the middle versus the Pacers, as Guershon Yabulese is questionable. Yabulese is listed as doubtful with right knee swelling.
Meanwhile, the Sixers also could be without Paul George. George sat out Friday’s practice due to a left groin issue and is considered questionable for tonight. George has been playing a lot of small ball centers recently, with Embiid and Drummond sidelined. The Sixers are 12-15 in contests that George has played.
Update: George and Yabulese Injury Updates
Gina Mazell of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweeted, at 6:22 this evening, that “Paul George and Guerschon Yabusele are both OUT tonight at Indiana. Andre Drummond will play.”
George and Yabulese were reportedly ruled out after going through warmups. Mazell added that Drummond and Ricky Council IV would move into the starting lineup.
“We’ve been on survival mode and doing the best we can with who’s available,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said prior to the Sixers going out for warmups against the Pacers. “That’s been the story of the first half of the season.”
Embiid’s Importance
Embiid’s health is vitally important to the 76ers’ present and future. So, expect the 76ers to take their time in bringing him back, especially if the Sixers aren’t in contention to make a real playoff push.
Philadelphia is 7-6 with Embiid in the lineup. However, Embiid has not been as dominant or consistent in the games he has appeared in—and with good reason, given the amount of time he has missed.
Embiid averages 24.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.0 blocks while shooting 45.2/32.7/92. He does have four double-doubles and produced five 30-point efforts. More specifically, he has turned in seven dominant performances, and the Sixers are 5-2 in those contests.
Just as the 76ers record indicated, the Sixers have been just a little better on both ends with Embiid on the floor this year. The biggest difference for the Sixers with Embiid on the floor this year is that they are better defensively and on the glass. The 76ers also do a better job getting to the free-throw line and protecting the rim with the big guy.
Given Philadelphia’s reevaluation timeline, remember that just because Embiid will be reevaluated in 7 to 10 days doesn’t mean he will return. The earliest he will return is when the 76ers host the Los Angeles Lakers on January 28. The game against the Lakers begins a six-game homestand for the Sixers, leading up to the NBA trade deadline.
Besides the Indiana game, Embiid will also miss Sunday’s game at Milwaukee. The 76ers are at Denver on January 21 before returning home against Cleveland on January 24. They then travel to Chicago on January 25th.
Upcoming Games
As evident by the schedule, Philadelphia won’t have it easy over the next five games. Chicago is the only team in the five upcoming contests that does not have a .500 record. The 76ers are just 4-22 in these types of contests, including 2-18 without Embiid and 9-11 on the road. They are also 0-5 in the second of back-to-back games with a minus-15.4 scoring margin.
Philadelphia is 2-4 against the five teams, going 0-2 against the Cavaliers, 1-0 against the Bulls, 0-1 against the Bucks, and 1-1 against the Pacers. Embiid played in two of those contests, winning against the Bulls and losing to the Pacers.
Given the 76ers’ injuries, let’s say Philadelphia wins just one of the five upcoming games. That puts the Sixers’ record at 16-28, so at best, they could stay one and one-half games behind Chicago for 10th.
If Embiid returns against the Lakers, Philadelphia has a chance to potentially climb to the seventh spot. As long as Embiid, George, and Tyrese Maxey remain healthy. Let’s say the Sixers produce a .700 winning percentage over the final 38 games. The Sixers are 7-2 this season in games that the Big 3 have started together. That would mean the Sixers would theoretically go 26-12 the rest of the way and end up with a 42-40 record. Last year, Miami finished eighth in the East with 46 wins.
However, Embiid’s health remains a huge question mark, particularly considering his injury issues this year. George has also struggled to stay healthy recently and has missed 12 games this year. Maxey has sat out seven contests already.
Plus, Philadelphia has a tough schedule even if Embiid returns against the Lakers later this month. Starting with the Lakers game, the Sixers’ opponents before the NBA trade deadline include Sacramento, Denver, Boston, and Dallas. Overall, at this point, the Sixers have the 12th easiest remaining schedule.
76ers Will Have Decisions To Make
If Philadelphia isn’t competitive or Embiid doesn’t return on January 27, the 76ers may have to make some decisions., according to ESPN’s Tim Bontempts in an article recently.
“It could be a sign of things to come in Philadelphia, where the 76ers have now dropped four in a row and are entering into a brutal stretch of their schedule, Bontempts said. “Between now and the trade deadline, Philadelphia has 10 out of 11 games against teams .500 or better, and eight of those 11 games come as part of back-to-back sets.”
“That leaves open the possibility that this stretch in the schedule could leave Philadelphia in such a massive hole that even making it into the play-in tournament,” he added. “That could, in turn, lead to a pivot toward maximizing the team’s chances of keeping its top-six protected first-round pick in this year’s draft. And while sources said the team remained focused on maximizing this group’s potential for this season, rather than maximizing its lottery odds, the next three weeks could easily see the 76ers change their tune.”
Philadelphia has 14 players under contract and is $6.17 below the second apron. So, if the Sixers want to make a play for someone, they could.
It is more likely that if the 76ers do anything this trade deadline, it will be as sellers. The Sixers already have $186 million committed to 11 players next year. While they have some flexibility next year, the Sixers project to be nearly $13 million over the NBA’s $154 salary cap as their big 3’s salary hit is $144 million. McCain ($4.2 million) will undoubtedly return, while Caleb Martin is the only other player with a fully guaranteed deal for 2025-26.
More significantly, making the Play-in Tournament will cost the 76ers their 2025 first-round pick. If the Sixers’ draft pick finishes outside the top six, it will belong to Oklahoma City.
More On 76ers 2025 Draft and Potential Trades
“If the 76ers [campaign] turns into a full miserable season and they finish with the sixth-worst record, they’ll have just a 37% chance of keeping their pick,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst previously stated. “If they finish with the fourth-worst record, they’ll have an 81% chance. The stakes are potentially huge, and those percentage differences are also significant. (Last year, the difference between finishing with the sixth-worst record and the fourth-worst was four games.)”
If Philadelphia’s 2025 draft pick is conveyed to the Thunder, it leaves the 76ers with six first-round selections until 2031. The Sixers also owe a future first-rounder to Brooklyn.
So, who could be on the move if Philadelphia chose to sell? Yabulese, Drummond, and Kelly Oubre Jr. are the most likely players to not finish the season with the Sixers.
Yabulese is having a productive season in his return to the NBA. He is only 29 and makes $2.9 million this season, so he should see a good bump in his next salary. Clutch Points recently proposed a trade that would send Eric Gordon and Yabulese to OKC to keep their pick owed to OKC this year — therefore, they could be obligated to send their 2026 top choice to the Thunder.
Teams are always looking for bigs who can rebound and protect the rim, which makes Drummond attractive. Drummond, who has a $5.0 million player option, may not bring the Sixers more than a second-round pick as his production has slipped a little from a year ago. But he does have three double-doubles and averages 8.0 points and 10 boards as a starter this year.
Oubre’s production has also dipped this year, particularly his shooting. But he is cheap—with a $8.3 million player option next season—and versatile, and he can light up a scoreboard when “on.”
Caleb Martin would be another trade option. However, the Sixers may prefer to keep the 29-year-old forward rather than Oubre as he is under contract for three more years and a more consistent shooter.
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