Joel Embiid has been sidelined for most of the month with a new injury, but it sounds like an old ailment is now going to keep the Philadelphia 76ers star out even longer.
Embiid has missed Philadelphia’s last six games after he injured his foot in the team’s Christmas Day game against the Boston Celtics. The former NBA MVP played in several games after that, but the injury seemed to worsen. Embiid has now been out since Jan 4., and the Sixers have faced criticism over their handling of the situation.
On Friday, the 76ers announced that Embiid will continue to sit out during the team’s upcoming road trip after he experienced swelling in his surgically repaired knee. The team said Embiid’s foot sprain has healed, but his knee swelled following a workout on Thursday.

The plan is for Embiid to be reevaluated in 7-10 days.
An extremely ominous Joel Embiid update from the Sixers, who say the swelling in his knee has increased as his foot sprain has healed. He will be re-evaluated in approximately 7-10 days. pic.twitter.com/JSGpPEskjV
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) January 17, 2025
At this point, it is fair to wonder whether Embiid will be fully healthy at all this season.
The Sixers have lost four straight and are now 15-24. They are slowly fading from playoff contention, which is likely why Emiid has been pushing to play. The fact that his previous injury has flared up is not a good sign.
Embiid has averaged 24.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game across just 13 contests this season. He has had horrible luck with injuries, and the latest update will give fans no reason for optimism.