Joel Embiid to undergo 'corrective procedure,' putting 76ers in serious dilemma
The Philadelphia 76ers will be without reigning MVP Joel Embiid for the foreseeable future, but for how long is still unknown.
On Sunday, the 76ers announced that Embiid would undergo a "corrective procedure" this week to repair an injury to a lateral meniscus injury in his left knee. Regarding a timetable for return, the team said an update wouldn't be available until after the surgery was complete.
However, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the "door isn't closed" for Embiid to potentially return this season, though he'll miss extended time regardless.
While the news ends hopes of repeating as MVP for Embiid, the situation also puts the 76ers in a serious quandary.
The NBA trade deadline is looming on Feb. 8, and with the status of the team's best player still uncertain, the path ahead for the Sixers is also unclear.
Do they risk dealing assets and add pieces in hopes that Embiid will be back? Or do they pack it in and become sellers instead?
Right now, the Sixers are still in okay shape at 30-18, which is good enough for fifth in the East. However, without Embiid, they're falling fast, having dropped four of the five games without him recently.
Furthermore, the Sixers simply aren't the same team when he's not in the lineup, going 4-10 this season alone. Meanwhile, Philly has the fourth-hardest strength of schedule remaining in the NBA, per Tankathon. Through the team's final 34 games, 12 come against teams ranked fourth or better in their respective conference.
As for potential reinforcements, the pickings are slim.
According to insider Marc Stein, the 76ers are still interested in veteran Kyle Lowry, and Embiid's status doesn't "automatically" rule them out on the six-time All-Star.
Meanwhile, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic threw out a few potential options, though none move the needle too far, including Bojan Bogdanovic, Gordon Hayward and Malcolm Brogdon.
Nearly a week since Embiid last took the court, the picture moving forward doesn't look any clearer for the 76ers.
More information will come out after his procedure, but until then, the franchise and its hopes for the season remain in limbo.
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