Philadelphia 76ers' Championship Odds Rest on Joel Embiid's Knees

The Philadelphia 76ers have certainly pulled out all the stops this offseason, and the roster proves it. In July, Philadelphia signed LeBron James to a two-year contract following James’ statement that he thinks he can help the Sixers win a championship along with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and VJ Edgecombe.

 On paper, it is one of the best collections of talent in franchise history. However, every discussion about Philadelphia’s chances of winning an NBA championship this season will ultimately lead to the same question: can Joel Embiid’s knees endure?

A Roster Built for Right Now

However, it wasn’t just the complementaries the Sixers got; it was all-stars. Matching up Embiid with James, Brown, Maxey, and Edgecombe means that Philadelphia now has its own starting lineup with two-way capabilities on almost every position. 

The team president, Mike Gansey, has stated that Embiid is not only in shape but even more motivated than ever for the 2026-27 season.

Per Gansey in an article from Kevin Negandhi of ESPN, “This is like the first summer I think in a while that he’s been healthy, so he’s been in the gym working out. He’s been lifting weights. He’s extra motivated. He wants to play a lot of games, and he’s excited about the group we’ve built now.

“Even before these trades and LeBron, I think he was excited. So he’s motivated to have a good year and he’s ready to go.”

The Injury History Nobody Can Ignore

The issue with Embiid’s knee has defined his career for the last three years. The center injured his knee early on during the 2023-24 season when he tore his meniscus, an injury that has plagued him ever since, as he has only appeared in 19 games during the 2024-25 season and in 38 last year. 

In April 2025, he had knee surgery using an arthroscopic method, and it seems like he has solved most of the problems; however, it is unclear whether he will be able to play both games of a back-to-back series. This fact is crucial for any team trying to make a deep run in the NBA playoffs.

Misinformation Shows How Fragile the Narrative Is

This was made crystal clear by a recent incident. A viral tweet suggesting that Embiid had a torn meniscus, which meant that he would be out for the whole 2026-27 season, was published by an impostor ESPN reporter and not by the genuine Shams Charania. The fact that this fake news went viral says a lot about the connection between Embiid’s fitness and the team’s aspirations of winning the championship. When we consider the recent practice picture where fans expressed their concerns about swelling in the left knee, it becomes clear that this will be a theme for the whole season regardless of whether it is justified or not.

Why the Fit Still Makes Sense

None of this alters the fact that when Embiid is healthy, he’s still one of the most dominant offensive centers to ever play in the NBA. His scoring presence creates space for James and Brown to drive, and his imposing physicality provides an anchor on defense that the majority of teams don’t have. 

Nurse’s job will be trying to find ways to spread touches between five players who are accustomed to being the focal point of the offense, but it’s a nice problem to have if Embiid is on the court to punish defenses for helping off him.

The West and East Won’t Wait

While Boston, Cleveland, and now Miami have made their strides to close the gap this offseason, none have centered on one health uncertainty the way Philadelphia has. And this is where the danger lies with the Sixers, it is not the possibility that Embiid may or may not become elite once more but rather whether the East will give them enough time to figure that out. 

Embiid playing 65 NBA games and being ready for the playoffs makes Philadelphia as dangerous as any team in the conference. Otherwise, the timeline of this group will clash directly with the deepening East.