76ers Provide Key Injury Updates on Joel Embiid, Paul George

The Philadelphia 76ers offered an update on Paul George and Joel Embiid on Friday.

Feb 23, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) drives against Memphis Grizzlies forward David Roddy (27) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The second week of the 2024-2025 NBA season has been quite eventful for the Philadelphia 76ers, but not for the right reasons. As the Sixers navigate through their new norm for Joel Embiid and his injury management plan, the team landed in some hot water with the NBA recently.

Earlier this week, the NBA announced the Sixers had been hit with a $100,000 fine after the league investigated the team due to Joel Embiid missing the opening night matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.

While the purpose of the investigation was to see if there was any wrongdoing on the Sixers’ part regarding the NBA’s player participation policy, the fine was a result of “inconsistent” comments regarding Embiid’s health status. According to the statement, Embiid has been unable to play due to a “left knee condition.”

76ers head coach Nick Nurse “punted” the opportunity to explain further. Last week, Nurse claimed Embiid did not re-injure the knee he had surgery on just last season—and reiterated that his absence is all a part of the injury management plan. The NBA’s statement suggests otherwise, leaving the situation a mystery before the Sixers dropped their third game of the season to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

On Friday, the Sixers returned to practice. The team hoped to get a better idea of Embiid’s status moving forward after a workout. The same goes for Paul George, who has been dealing with a bone bruise on his knee.

According to a team official, Embiid and George were both considered full participants at practice on Friday. They both scrimmaged five-on-five with the team.

While Embiid is progressing in the right direction, the veteran center stated he would not be available this weekend for the matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. As for George, his status has not been determined just yet.

The Sixers are set to host the Memphis Grizzlies for the first and only time this season on Saturday. They will tip off at 7:30 PM ET.