Last summer, Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to an extension with Joel Embiid fresh off of his Team USA gold medal run. While the move was expected, it generated a lot of concern, considering Embiid’s struggles to stay healthy throughout his career.
The 2024-2025 NBA season created plenty of additional panic. Embiid missed the first stretch of the season due to “knee injury management.” While he eventually debuted in November, the star center was only able to play a handful of games as a time as swelling and soreness would call for extended rest.
Eventually, the Sixers had to shut down Embiid for the rest of the year. He was ruled out after appearing in 19 games. Without their star big man, the Sixers struggled to adjust. Plus, injuries elsewhere piled on. As the postseason fires up this week, the Sixers are looking at the NBA Draft Lottery instead of preparing for a run.
“This has been a very complex situation for Joel,” Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey said on Sunday. “Figuring out exactly the right next step to make sure we can put him in the best way to help our team win a championship is not straightforward.”
The Sixers consulted many doctors over time to decide on the steps moving forward. While it was initially believed that Embiid would not need another surgery roughly one year after undergoing a procedure to repair a meniscus tear, the star center ultimately decided that was the best path moving forward.
“We feel good about the choice,” Morey said regarding the surgery. "I know Joel does [feel good] about the choice that was just made. And Dr. Glashow going in and feeling very optimistic that I think is good.”
Physically, it’s going to take some time for Embiid to be able to get back out on the court to ramp up his offseason work. Following his surgery, the Sixers placed a six-week re-evaluation timeline in place.
The seven-time All-Star has a lot more to overcome. Not only does the major extension add pressure to him heading into next season, but so does the lack of playoff success at this stage in his career. As dominant as Embiid has been over the years, he hasn’t been able to shake the identity of an MVP-caliber player, who can’t make it to the NBA’s biggest stage. Another setback added to his extensive history of injuries is certainly going to create a mental obstacle he’ll have to overcome.
“He takes a lot of pride in being the MVP-level player he can be and what that means for the fans in Philly,” Morey added. “I do think he takes to heart what Philly fans care about and what they want him to be, which I think is great because it puts high expectations.”
While Morey left questions regarding Embiid’s mental state at this time for the big man to share when he addresses the public, the President of Basketball Ops noted that the team is doing all they can to ensure he’s in a good space.
“Resources are provided to all our players to be able to play, both from a physical and mental perspective, at the highest level possible,” he finished. “We do think that’s a very important aspect, to have those resources.”
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It’s wild how quickly the NBA narrative can flip. A year ago, Zion Williamson was in every trade rumor possible. People were questioning his health, his work ethic, even his future in New Orleans. And the Pelicans? They didn’t really deny any of it. It felt like both sides were one step away from walking. But things have shifted this offseason — quietly, but clearly. The Pelicans could’ve pulled the plug. Zion’s contract gave them outs, and the trade market might’ve still brought back some real value. Instead, they stuck with him. And based on what one of their own just said, they’re not just keeping him around — they’re still betting big on him. In a recent interview with Spotrac’s Keith Smith, an anonymous Pelicans executive made it crystal clear. “Zion is still our guy. We’re all in on him. We think he’s going to have a huge year. We’ve had some bad injury luck and some things that just haven’t worked out. This partnership hasn’t even come close to reaching our best yet.” That’s not something you say if you’re halfway in. They backed it up with their offseason moves, too. They traded CJ McCollum and brought in Jordan Poole, a high-usage creator who can take pressure off Zion. They drafted Jeremiah Fears with the No. 7 pick, a dynamic young guard. They added Kevon Looney, a reliable veteran who brings playoff experience and toughness. Those aren’t tear-it-down moves — those are “let’s try this another way” moves. Of course, Zion’s health is still the question. That never really goes away. He played just 30 games last season, but in those games he looked solid: 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per night on 56.7 percent shooting. The explosiveness was there. The playmaking was sharp. And the hope for New Orleans is that this time, he can finally sustain it. What’s interesting is how the front office is trying to create a better environment around him. Joe Dumars has stepped in to lead basketball operations and is reportedly building a closer relationship with Zion — dinners, real conversations, not just surface-level stuff. It feels like, for once, the team is trying to meet him halfway. It’s a risk, sure. But it’s a calculated one. The West is brutal and the margin for error is thin. Still, if Zion can stay healthy for 60 games, and if Poole finds a rhythm and guys like Trey Murphy and Herb Jones keep improving — this team has a shot to be in the mix. The quote from the exec says it all. They could’ve hit reset, moved on, cleaned house. But they didn’t. They’re still in. And now it’s on Zion to hold up his end of the deal. After everything that’s happened, they’re telling the world they still believe. Now it’s time to find out if they’re right.
Following the shocking news of Hulk Hogan’s passing, wrestling legend Dustin Rhodes, known to millions as Goldust in WWE, took to social media to share a deeply personal and provocative reaction: “Hospitals truly kill people. I really do mean that.” Rhodes’ blunt statement stunned many fans, but those who know his story saw the pain behind the words. His father, the iconic Dusty Rhodes, passed away in 2015, aged 69, after a fall at home led to hospitalization for kidney failure. After his father's passing, Dustin shared a contemplative response on WWE's YouTube channel to discuss the legacy his father left behind. The news of Hogan's death comes just a month after reports suggested he was on his "deathbed" after undergoing a neck procedure back in May. Hogan's reps denied that was the case. In June, US Weekly reported that Hogan had also undergone a "pretty serious heart surgery and was doing well afterward." Dustin’s connection to his brother Cody Rhodes, now a top WWE superstar and face of the company’s next generation, is unbreakable. The Rhodes family legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of pro wrestling history, and seeing another legend like Hogan pass has clearly hit close to home. While Goldust and Hulk Hogan never had a headline-grabbing rivalry, they did share the ring once. It occurred in WCW in 2000 when Dustin Rhodes matched up against Hogan. Although their paths didn’t often cross in the squared circle, Hogan and the Rhodes family were part of the same larger-than-life era that helped define pro wrestling for decades and catapult the sport into society's zeitgeist. Rhodes’ comment about hospitals might not sit well with everyone, but it speaks to a raw and honest pain felt by someone who has seen too many legends, both personal and professional, fade away in similar fashion. The sport of wrestling has endured more than its fair share of lives cut short. As tributes continue to pour in for Hogan, Rhodes’ reaction serves as a powerful, if somber, reminder of the real human emotions behind the wrestling personas.
The MLB trade deadline is set for July 31 at 6 p.m. EST, and one team consistently involved in rumors is the New York Yankees. After falling short in the 2024 World Series, the Yankees are once again in the thick of the playoff race as the second half of the season unfolds. They currently hold a 56–46 record, but after dropping five of their last eight games—and with the Toronto Blue Jays surging—they now trail Toronto by four games in the AL East. With the deadline approaching, this marks their final opportunity to bolster the roster. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Yankees and the Seattle Mariners are currently viewed as the two "most aggressive" teams in pursuit of Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman and NL All-Star Eugenio Suarez. The Yankees may not be desperate for another elite bat, but adding one certainly wouldn’t hurt—especially given their continued struggles at third base, where Suarez has played the majority of his career. Suarez is currently slashing .252 with 36 home runs—fourth-most in the majors—and a league-leading 86 RBIs. He’s in the final year of the seven-year, $66 million contract he originally signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 2018. Any team acquiring him at the deadline will face a tough decision in the offseason: either re-sign him or risk losing him in free agency. That said, the Yankees still need to assemble a compelling offer. With Suarez being one of the hottest bats in baseball, the Diamondbacks are reportedly asking for "a ton" in return, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB Network—raising the question of which team is willing to gamble on what could ultimately be a short-term rental.
Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Callan Foote, Michael McLeod and Alex Formenton have been found not guilty by Justice Maria Carroccia in London, Ontario, according to reporting from The Athletic, after being charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault involving the 2018 Canadian men’s national junior team. Carroccia said that she did not find E.M.’s [the alleged victim] evidence “credible or reliable,” in explaining her reasoning. “Having found that I cannot rely upon the evidence of E.M. and then considering the evidence in this trial as a whole, I conclude that the Crown cannot meet its onus on any of the counts before me,” Carroccia said. The allegations against Dube, Foote, Formenton, Hart and McLeod first became public in May of 2022, when reports emerged that Hockey Canada had paid to settle a lawsuit with a woman, known in court documents as E.M., who said she was sexually assaulted by eight players “over several hours” in a London hotel room on July 18, 2018. No charges were levied as a result of the initial investigation by local police, which was closed in February 2019, but the case was reopened after the 2022 report. Formal charges were then brought against the five defendants on Jan. 30, 2024. The trial began on April 22, 2025, and the verdicts were reached solely by Justice Carroccia after two mistrials influenced her to dismiss the jury. The NHL does not have a formal policy for players accused of or charged with domestic violence, sexual assault or similar crimes. Instead, the four players who were under NHL contracts at the time – Dube, Foote, Hart and McLeod – were granted indefinite leaves of absence by their clubs shortly before the charges were announced. All of them were pending restricted free agents on expiring contracts and were not extended qualifying offers, making them unrestricted free agents as of July 1, 2024. When asked about the playing eligibility of the defendants, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has continually deferred action until after a verdict was reached. While none of the players are formally suspended by the league, similar situations have routinely required some sort of permission from league offices for them to play in or return to the NHL. If teams approach any of them with a contract offer, they will presumably wait for that guidance before registering the deal.