76ers Sought Out Multiple Doctors Before Joel Embiid Contract Extension

NBA insider details 76ers efforts before offering former MVP new deal.

Nov 20, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) limps to the bench during a time out during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Following their flurry of offseason moves, the Philadelphia 76ers finished off their summer locking down Joel Embiid to a new deal. Recent reports suggest that the team did diligent work regarding the superstar's health before inking the extension.

Last season, Embiid missed two months due to a knee injury he suffered against the Golden State Warriors. He was able to return just in time for the postseason, but it was clear the Sixers star wasn't himself. Fast forward to present day, and the team is still proceeding with caution to manage this injury properly and limit the wear and tear on Embiid.

In a recent column for ESPN, insider Ramona Shelburne touched on Embiid's $192.7 deal. She reported that the team saw over half a dozen doctors to make sure his workload could be properly managed.

The team and Embiid had sought half a dozen medical opinions before signing him to a three-year, $192.7M extension this September, sources said, and all of those consulted believed his knee could be adequately managed by a combination of strategic rest and procedures to promote healing, which Embiid has been regularly undergoing since last season.

Through the first month of the season, Embiid has only appeared in four games. His play has been up and down, though he has shown flashes of the player were accustomed to seeing. In his last game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Embiid recorded 35 points and 11 rebounds in a six-point loss.

With Embiid and others out of the lineup, the Sixers have come out of the gates to a 3-13 record. There is still time for them to turn things around, but they'll need the All-Star center back in the lineup consistently if they're going to climb the standings.