Joel Embiid Out For Season

After initially ruling him out indefinitely, the Sixers have issued an update on the status of Joel Embiid, announcing today in a press release that the young center will miss the rest of the 2016/17 season.Joel Embiid vertical

“The assessment of Monday’s follow-up MRI of Joel Embiid’s left knee appears to reveal that the area affected by the bone bruise has improved significantly, while the previously identified meniscus tear appears more pronounced in this most recent scan,” Sixers chief medical director Dr. Jonathan Glashow said in a statement. “We will continue to work with leading specialists to gather additional information through clinical examination and sequential testing to determine the best course of action and next steps.”

Embiid, who was selected third overall in the 2014 draft, has now had each of his first three NBA seasons come to a premature end. However, 2016/17 represented a step forward, since it was the first season in which he saw the court at all. In his 31 games this season for the Sixers, Embiid flashed superstar potential, averaging 20.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 2.5 BPG in just 25.4 minutes per contest.

Embiid, who turns 23 later this month, will become extension-eligible for the first time during the 2017 offseason, so the Sixers will face a very difficult decision later this year. If the two sides don’t reach an agreement before the 2017/18 league year, Philadelphia would still have the option to match any offer made to Embiid as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2018.

Embiid is the second young Sixer to be ruled out for the season within the last few days — the club announced last week that 2016’s first overall pick, Ben Simmons, won’t make his NBA debut in 2016/17.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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