The NBA will “likely” launch an investigation into the Philadelphia 76ers regarding the participation of center Joel Embiid, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
The report does not mention what rules the 76ers may have broken or specifically what the potential investigation would focus on. The possible consequences if a violation is discovered are also not taken into account.
The report dropped hours before Philadelphia’s regular season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks. Embiid and his new All-Star teammate Paul George have both been ruled out of the game. Embiid has been ruled out without a specific injury designation for what the team describes as “left knee management.”
George suffered a bone bruise in preseason without structural damage. His absence is not expected to be long-term. Embiid is returning from a season in which he missed 43 games, most of which suffered a season-ending meniscus injury in his left knee that required surgery.
Why doesn’t Embiid play Philadelphia’s season opener?
Embiid returned from the injury in time for Philadelphia’s first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, which they lost in six games. He then played for Team USA in Paris during the Summer Olympics. He sat out the preseason with the 76ers citing “left knee management” and will miss Philadelphia’s season opener. He has no injury designation beyond knee management.
General manager Daryl Morey recently said he doesn’t expect Embiid or George to play in many back-to-back games, if any.
“We’re going to be smart about it,” Morey said in an article published on October 14, according to ESPN. “Part of being smart is that both Paul and Joel probably don’t play many back-to-backs, if any.”
Head coach Nick Nurse was asked Tuesday about the plan to rest Embiid and why Embiid won’t play against the Bucks on Wednesday despite not having a specific injury.
Nick Nurse said there were no setbacks for Embiid this offseason and reiterated several times most of the things we’ve heard about his health.
When I asked him how we could tailor their messages to the fact that Joel wasn’t ready to start the season, he said this: pic.twitter.com/cH4IldM4nV
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) October 22, 2024
“I don’t know what to say to you,” the nurse said. “He’s practicing. He looks good. He’s making progress. He’s not quite ready yet. …
“I don’t know what else to say to you.”
Are the 76ers violating NBA policy?
The NBA has implemented rules in 2023 that target the load management practices of resting star players when they are not injured. Teams are subject to fines for various violations of the policy, including prohibiting teams from sitting multiple star players in the same game if they are not injured and resting star players during nationally televised games. Philadelphia’s game against Milwaukee on Wednesday will air on ESPN.
Embiid, a seven-time All-Star and 2023 NBA MVP, has been plagued by foot and knee injuries throughout his career. He missed his entire first two seasons with injury after being selected third overall by the 76ers out of Kansas in 2014.
Since then, he has played in 51 games or fewer in four of his eight seasons. He never played more than 68 games in one season.
