Joel Embiid's Return Hinges on Knee Injury Management, Status Remains Questionable for Sixers-Magic Game
The Philadelphia 76ers are bracing for life without their star big man Joel Embiid as he faces a uncertain return to action against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. The team's injury report lists Embiid as questionable due to his ongoing right knee issues, which have sidelined him from playing in six straight games.
Embiid underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April 2025 but has been dealing with right knee problems since then. His condition worsened after he reported soreness during practice on November 11, leading to a second absence in as many weeks. Although the team's head coach Nick Nurse described Embiid as day-to-day and participating fully in practice on Monday, the six-time All-Star remains doubtful to play against the Magic.
On the positive side, point guard Tyrese Maxey is expected to be available after receiving treatment for his right shoulder, which he injured during Sunday's loss to the Miami Heat. "I'm feeling great," Maxey said on Monday, adding that he will be back on the court soon.
Shooting guard VJ Edgecombe, who was ruled out of Sunday's game due to left calf tightness, is also expected to miss another contest as the team takes a cautious approach to manage his injury. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Adem Bona, who are both already ruled out for Tuesday's game, will have to wait until further notice to return.
The Sixers' schedule remains challenging with a tough road trip ahead, but the team is hopeful that Embiid's right knee issues can be managed effectively, allowing him to make a timely return and bolster their lineup.
The Philadelphia 76ers are bracing for life without their star big man Joel Embiid as he faces a uncertain return to action against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. The team's injury report lists Embiid as questionable due to his ongoing right knee issues, which have sidelined him from playing in six straight games.
Embiid underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April 2025 but has been dealing with right knee problems since then. His condition worsened after he reported soreness during practice on November 11, leading to a second absence in as many weeks. Although the team's head coach Nick Nurse described Embiid as day-to-day and participating fully in practice on Monday, the six-time All-Star remains doubtful to play against the Magic.
On the positive side, point guard Tyrese Maxey is expected to be available after receiving treatment for his right shoulder, which he injured during Sunday's loss to the Miami Heat. "I'm feeling great," Maxey said on Monday, adding that he will be back on the court soon.
Shooting guard VJ Edgecombe, who was ruled out of Sunday's game due to left calf tightness, is also expected to miss another contest as the team takes a cautious approach to manage his injury. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Adem Bona, who are both already ruled out for Tuesday's game, will have to wait until further notice to return.
The Sixers' schedule remains challenging with a tough road trip ahead, but the team is hopeful that Embiid's right knee issues can be managed effectively, allowing him to make a timely return and bolster their lineup.
The 76ers are being super cautious with Joel Embiid's injury, and I get it, you don't want to risk further damage, but this is like the sixth time he's been out already! 
They need him back ASAP. And now they're saying he's day-to-day? What does that even mean? 
At least Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are getting some love - I hope both of them can get back on the court soon, tho. 
The Magic game is gonna be super tough without Embiid, btw...
And now they're saying he's day-to-day, but questionable to play against the Magic? Come on! Tyrese Maxey getting treatment for his shoulder is a good sign tho, hopefully he'll be back on the court soon 
. But I'm still worried about Embiid's knee - can't we just have one guy who doesn't get hurt all the time?! 
. The knee issues are just so frustrating - one minute he's fine, next thing you know he's hobbling around with a big ol' ice pack on his knee 
. Can't blame the team for taking it slow though, I mean who wants to risk making things worse? 
. And VJ Edgecombe's injury just adds another layer of complexity... hope they get Embiid healthy ASAP so we can see the real Philly 76ers in action 
. And the fact that he's only day-to-day after practicing fully, it's hard not to worry about him getting hurt again 
. The team needs him, especially with their tough road trip coming up, but they're being cautious and I don't blame them really 
. They just need Embiid to be healthy for a bit so they can get back on track and make some noise in the playoffs 
. Tyrese Maxey's injury is a bright spot, though! I'm stoked he's feelin' great and ready to go. The Sixers need him, and Embiid needs his buddy 
. It's gonna be tough without Joel, but they gotta take it one game at a time. Maybe this'll be the wake-up call for them to figure out what's goin' on with that knee? Fingers crossed! 
! Seriously though, I feel for the guy, he needs to get back on the court ASAP or the Sixers will be stuck in neutral mode. But on the bright side, at least Tyrese Maxey is feeling good about his shoulder - must be nice to have an injury that's not a major surgery 
. The team needs Embiid back but I guess you can't rush a superstar - unless he's got a contract extension to get him on the court ASAP 
!
my gut tells me he wont make it back anytime soon but i hope the team can manage his knee issues so they dont get left behind in the playoff hunt 
. seems like embiid's condition is getting worse by the day... if he's only doing partial practices and still doubtful to play, it's not looking good 
. what's with all these surgeries and treatments? shouldn't we be seeing some tangible results by now? 
but at the same time, we gotta respect his health and all that jazz 
i hope the 76ers can get his right knee issues under control so he can make a comeback soon 
and i'm glad to hear tyrese maxey is feeling better, we need him on the court 
fingers crossed for embiid's return 
it's like, one day he's feeling good in practice & next he's out for another game 
he's been dealing with it for ages and i'm worried about his long-term health 
because that team is struggling without him 
here's a simple diagram to show how it looks like now: