The Philadelphia 76ers are heading into a pivotal 2025-2026 season. With some of their core players getting older, and the prime of Joel Embiid in question, this upcoming season is a huge one for the franchise.
While Jared McCain is hurt and set to miss some time, the 76ers, for the first time in a while, got some very encouraging injury news on one of their stars.
According to Senior NBA Insider Chris Haynes, the 76ers are set to get superstar center Joel Embiid back, as the former MVP has been cleared to make his preseason debut in Friday night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
76ers get incredible Joel Embiid update ahead of preseason game
"Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid (knee) has been cleared to make his preseason debut tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves, league sources tell me," Haynes reported.
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid (knee) has been cleared to make his preseason debut tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves, league sources tell me. https://t.co/JkCtM3B8LP
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 17, 2025
This is some incredible news for the 76ers, as their superstar is finally seeing some progress from a tough knee injury he's been dealing with for some time.
At 31 years old, Embiid has had his career marred with injuries, losing the first two years after he was drafted due to injury, and missing some time over the last couple of seasons.
In 2024-2025, Embiid played in just 19 games, and while he played 30.2 minutes per game, his production took a dip from years prior. He averaged 7.4 field goals per game, well below the 9.0 field goals per game from 2020-2021 - the lowest mark of the previous four years before 2024-2025.
More: Joel Embiid flashes old MVP form in Sixers scrimmage, Nick Nurse impressed
Embiid is one of the best players in the NBA when healthy, but in recent years, that's been a major hurdle for the 7-foot center. With his career at risk of winding down, Embiid having a strong 2025-2026 season could be a huge help in reestablishing himself as one of the best players in the league.
Getting back on the court is the first step, and this report from Haynes indicates that Embiid will be able to play in the 76ers' preseason game against the Timberwolves.
Other than the fact that Embiid is ready to be back on the court, this news, coming ahead of the final preseason game, is a huge break for the 76ers. Philadelphia is now likely to get Embiid back for the season-opener against the Boston Celtics on October 22nd.
The 76ers are getting their superstar center back for the preseason finale and will likely have him ready for the regular season opener. After all of the concerns surrounding Embiid's injury, this is some incredible news right before the season begins.
More 76ers news:
- Sixers ‘hopeful’ about Embiid’s availability for opening night
- 76ers’ Nick Nurse reveals Paul George's status for opening night
- 76ers announce signing of former 1st-round pick after tough few years in NBA
- Quentin Grimes addresses his 76ers future after offseason contract talks