The offseason is for rest and recovery, but for Joel Embiid, it was time for another surgery. In April, the 76ers’ superstar underwent left knee surgery to bounce back from a season in which he played only 19 games. Last month, Philly’s HC Nick Nurse was optimistic about his star center’s return, but did not pin the date on the training camp. “Whether he’s ready for training camp or not, I think there’s maybe a lot more decisions than that to make before we get there.” Despite the limbo, the fans can have a sigh of relief.

Everybody knows that the 2023 MVP is very important for the team’s chances of reaching the playoffs. For that, The Process needs to be healthy, and the 76ers shared such an update. On X, the team shared a collage of black and white photos as their players were working out. “work before the work. 💼”. Yes, Joel Embiid was part of the photos, but what was more encouraging was the video in the replies. 3 videos, all promising. One had their rookie V. J. Edgecombe attacking the basket.

The second was with Paul George in the gym. But most importantly, Joel Embiid was on the hardwood, focusing on his foot movement, and scored a basket. It seems the surgery has worked wonders since there was no knee brace. Previously, the 7x All-Star “begrudgingly” wore the support on his left knee, and it was the same knee in which he underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in February. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps detailed that Embiid was “uncomfortable” wearing a brace, but knew it was the right thing to do.

So, is this a sign of a healthy Embiid? Let’s not forget, even the 31-year-old wasn’t sure about his return date. While speaking to ESPN’s Dotun Akintoye, Embiid revealed that it’s still unclear when he will be able to return to the court. “We don’t have a timeline. Hopefully, sooner rather than later.” It was the same feature, which detailed a never-before-seen side of Joel.

It revealed the trust issues and drama in the locker room, plus a vulnerable side of the 2x scoring champion. The leaked locker room fallout even affected his mental health. “I don’t know if I can do it again… I can’t do another minute.” The 76ers superstar was not sure whether he would continue taking late-night treatment sessions. But with the latest update, it seems the tide is turning.

With a healthy Joel Embiid, the 76ers decide on the team roster

As stated before, there is no timeline for the 31-year-old All-Star to return to the team. But it’s a lot better after the debacle of injuries they had last season. Embiid appeared in just 19 games, while George played 41 and Maxey was available for 52. However, the injury troubles affected other players apart from their Big3. During the 2024-25 season, Justin Edwards played 44 games for the 76ers, and Jared McCain was active for 23.

George, who signed a four-year, $212M deal in 2024, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in July 2025 after an injury during a workout and received injections for his left adductor and knee, ruling him out for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. Shams Charania reported that George’s status for the start of the 2025-26 season remains uncertain, with a re-evaluation planned before training camp.

The team’s focus is on ensuring he’s fully recovered for the regular season, potentially integrating him gradually to avoid re-injury. McCain underwent surgery for a lateral meniscus tear, ending his rookie season after 23 games. He’s progressing well but was ruled out for Summer League.

Maxey missed the latter part of the 2024-25 season due to a right finger sprain and a back contusion. The team is optimistic about his recovery, as his injuries were considered less severe and partly managed to maximize draft lottery odds.

One positive outcome from their roster was the emergence of Quentin Grimes, who appeared in 28 games after the trade in February.

In those games, the 25-year-old was absolutely instrumental and played an average of 33.7 minutes while contributing with 21.9 points per game. Grimes is a restricted free agent this summer, and things have been very slow for many players this year. For now, the 76ers have offered him a one-year, $8.7 million qualifying offer, but the 5-star guard can enter unrestricted free agency next offseason. The team wants to avoid the latter situation and wants to trade two veterans in order to make room for Grimes.

Add to this the previous report from NBA insider Marc Stein, who stated that the 76ers are not planning on moving Joel Embiid. For now, the team wants the Process to be the leader and is hopeful of avoiding the last season crisis. With no knee brace while training, it proves that the hope of a healthy roster is not fictional.