Sixers’ Joel Embiid will have surgery to repair torn meniscus

Sixers center Joel Embiid will have surgery in the coming days to repair his torn meniscus, the team announced.

Sixers center Joel Embiid will have surgery in the coming days to repair his torn meniscus, the team announced.

ESPN’s Marc Stein first reported the news.

Embiid, 23, was ruled out for the season March 1 with a meniscus tear the 76ers publicly deemed ‘minor.’ He last played a game on Jan. 27, after which ongoing swelling and soreness led to his eventual shutdown.

The No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft,  Embiid missed the first two seasons of his career with foot injuries but looked like the centerpiece of Philadelphia’s lengthy rebuild in his time on the court. The Cameroon native quickly emerged as one of the league’s top young talents and also one of its biggest personalities this season.

In 31 games this season, Embiid averaged 20.2 points. 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in just 25.4 minutes per game.

Embiid and 2016 No. 1 draft pick Ben Simmons, currently out for the season as he recovers from a foot injury, could take the court together for the first time in 2017-18.