Team USA head coach Steve Kerr, who texted Sixers center Joel Embiid this week to say hello and wish him well in his recovery from knee surgery, remains hopeful that the reigning MVP will be able to play in this summer’s Olympics, writes Dan Gelston of The Associated Press.
“Our fingers are crossed he’ll be healthy this summer and able to play,” Kerr said. “He’s an amazing player and we’re really excited to have him be part of the program.”
While the Sixers are hopeful that Embiid will be able to return before the end of the season and compete in the playoffs, it wouldn’t be surprising if the big man decided to forgo the Olympics and take the summer to rest and recuperate, given the nature of his injury. There’s still plenty of time to figure out his plan though, since the Paris games are still over five months away.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The NBA’s in-season tournament will have a new name going forward, according to the league, which announced on Thursday in a press release that the event will be known as the NBA Cup and will be sponsored by the airline Emirates. NBA referees will also begin wearing Emirates patches on their uniforms later this month, per the announcement.
- Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) breaks down what the luxury tax figures for 2023/24 look like after the trade deadline, noting that nine of the 10 teams projected to be taxpayers a month ago either shed salary or stood pat. The Sixers and Pelicans ducked out of the tax, while the Suns were the only one of those 10 teams to increase their payroll. The 22 non-taxpayers currently project to receive $11.5MM apiece this offseason, Marks adds.
- Spurs sophomore Jeremy Sochan has replaced injured Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe in next weekend’s Rising Stars game, the NBA announced in a press release. The league also shared (via Twitter) the results of the Rising Stars draft, with coaches Jalen Rose, Pau Gasol, and Tamika Catchings building seven-man rosters from a 21-player pool.
- Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan would be open to the possibility of playing in Europe later in his career, he said during an interview with Toni Canyameras from Mundo Deportivo (hat tip to BasketNews). Jordan specifically named Barcelona as a team that would pique his interest, since he loves Spain.
- John Hollinger of The Athletic shares some observations on the trade deadline, noting that many of the would-be buyers didn’t have the assets necessary to take a big swing this week.
I guess that Arabian cash is just too good to pass up…
Huh? Money is money. Everything gets sponsored in some way. It is called Capitalism.
Why would Joel Embiid do anything other than rest his aging and often-injured body this summer????
No kidding. No way Philly would allow it.
If Embiid decides he wants to play ….. Philly ain’t gonna stand in his way ….. Embiid is calling the shots. Not Philly. If he plays …. We will all know once and for all that an NBA title ain’t really something he is overly concerned about.
29 and just reaching his athletic prime. Oft injured is a term used as a substitute for chronic, the only chronic injury Joel embiid suffered was a foot injury his first two years. All other injuries Joel embiid has suffered playing at mvp level often while hurt. In the words of perk you are dismissed.
Maybe you should do a little history lesson on big men, and their bodies, and how when perfectly healthy don’t stay nearly as productive for nearly as long as smaller players. Each and every one of Embiid’s injuries has taken a toll on his body, and he has been injured every year he has played professionally. Even before the last injury, the Olympics shouldn’t have even been a thought. Fans in Philly deserve to have this dude committed to ending their title drought, and not committed to having a good time with the guys while putting further stress on his body chasing a Gold Medal like Carmelo. He ain’t paid for the Olympics. Philly fans ain’t paying ticket prices through the nose to see this dude competing for Gold Medals and not doing all he can to prepare his body for the season and playoff run. He only has 1 to maybe 2 more bites at the apple after this year. That’s it.
Very barry I forgot more than you know. Remember more big men than you saw. You are incorrect in assessment of Joel and his injuries. Bites of the apples and playing in the Olympics? Ok.
Everyone loves Barcelona, best city in Europe by far… and on top of that the best hoops team in Europe as well… so no wonder he wants to go to Barcelona!
Embid shouldn’t play in the Olympics unless he returns during the NBA regular season and completes it and the post-season fully healthy. Neither the NBA, nor USA BB or its clueless HC, should be encouraging it.
Huh? I think you read way to much into Kerr’s statement. Embiid is injured, and probably frustrated that he can’t play. Kerr is just encouraging to stay positive in his recovery. Kerr hopes Embiid can play. What is wrong with that? I highly doubt Kerr wants an injured Embiid.
Maybe KERR, could not have put the hit out on Embiid if he wanted him.