Troubling update emerges about Joel Embiid’s status

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Troubling update emerges about Joel Embiid’s status

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated Apr 20, 2026 9:26 AM ET

The Philadelphia 76ers may have to ride out the rest of their season without the services of The Process.

76ers center Joel Embiid missed Sunday’s Game 1 against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Boston, Mass. Philadelphia then went on to get thumped by the Celtics, losing the first-round series opener by a final of 123-91.

Before the game, Jorge Sedano of ESPN shared a troubling update on Embiid, who is currently recovering from an emergency appendectomy. Sedano reported on the air that the former MVP Embiid has yet to return to basketball activities and is thus looking unlikely to return at any point during the series against Boston.

Joel Embiid hasn't started basketball activity and his status for this series looks unlikely, per @Sedano pic.twitter.com/swGGDy5p0r
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) April 19, 2026

Embiid, 32, suffered a sudden bout of appendicitis earlier this month and had to undergo emergency surgery as a result. That was 10 days ago at this point, and the general recovery time for a return to normal activities after an appendectomy is an estimated 1-to-3 weeks.

The seven-footer Embiid probably would have been the single biggest positional mismatch against the Celtics. But the 76ers are far less menacing with Adem Bona and Andre Drummond having to rotate at center instead, and it showed during Sunday’s blowout loss.

Meanwhile, Embiid was recently the subject of a controversial claim from Skip Bayless alleging that he had already been cleared to play for the 76ers but was declining to do so. But in reality, it looks like Embiid might still be days or even weeks away from a potential return to the court.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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