Sixers Set to Miss Two Stars In Abu Dhabi

The 22-year-old suffered from a UCL tear in a training session earlier on in the week, which, according to some reports, could see him be out for approximately 4-6 weeks. At the Sixers' Media Day on Friday, President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey explained that the former Duke star was still seeking outside opinions regarding his injury.

"He's still consulting with specialists, you know, with the hand there are doctors, or there are doctors specialized in everything, but it always seems like hand injuries are very specialized, so still gathering that feedback," Morey stated to the presser.

It appears that, despite being present at Sunday's training camp, albeit not to practice, McCain will not travel to Abu Dhabi with the team, according to Nurse, as is the case with Quentin Grimes, who is in the midst of contract negotiations with Philadelphia.

"There's a couple of them, Jared is one," Nurse explained. "We're still in contract negotiations with another one, so they're not joining us either."

The negotiations between the two sides have been one of the storylines of the offseason for the Sixers, as they looked to be heavily pursuing him after the departure of fellow free agent Guerschon Yabusele in the early stages of free agency.

It's worth noting that Grimes was absent from Philadelphia's media day on Friday, as he hasn't been seen in any of the team's posts online throughout this period.

What about Joel Embiid?

While Grimes and McCain are set to be absent from the team's trip abroad, Nurse confirmed that there is the expectation for Joel Embiid to be present for their preseason camp. This comes as the former MVP continues his recovery back from an operation on his left knee, that had nagged him throughout last season.

The limited 19 appearances that Embiid made last season would be the lowest in his career for the years that he's actually taken to the court, averaging an uncharacteristic 23.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, a far cry from where he was even a year prior.

In the limited open court time that the media has been able to watch, the Cameroonian is looking good on the floor, most noticeably practicing without any sort of brace on his left knee, which wasn't the case on the first day of training camp.