Over the past year and a half, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has been talked about like a man whose career is on the ropes. At 31 years old, Embiid definitely isn’t a young lion. Yet, he’s talented enough to play in the league for several more years. That is, if health permits.
Joel Embiid May Play In 76ers Preseason Finale
This offseason, NBA fans haven’t seen much of Embiid. Not even on Twitter. In mid-August, he received a promising injury update after being limited to 19 games last season. However, this past weekend was the first time that people were able to see him on the court since Feb. 22.
Joel Embiid looking healthy during 76ers scrimmage pic.twitter.com/MgtDBlePUh
— NBAbzy (@nbabzyy) October 13, 2025
On Sunday, Embiid took part in the Sixers’ Blue-White scrimmage. Visibly slimmer, a strategy that could reduce the strain on his knees and improve his mobility, he was moving well on the court. Though he’s only dunked 24 times in the past two seasons, he even got above the rim for a flush. Notably, he played alongside 2024 No. 41 pick Adem Bona in double-big lineups, moving to power forward in those situations.
‘Continuing To Cross Thresholds’
“From all accounts, he responded fine” to the scrimmage, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse tells reporters (h/t PHLY Sixers). “He was in practice again today, looking good, feeling good. So, he just did the beginning parts of practice today but that’s as planned, right? But I do think he responded well to it… We’re continuing to cross thresholds.”
Nick Nurse says that there’s a chance that Joel Embiid could play in the final preseason game 👀
“I think there’s some chance, yeah. I don’t think we’re there yet. It’s a little early in the week to decide…We got some thresholds to get over before we get to that point.” pic.twitter.com/pB2ZBaEEV8
— PHLY Sixers (@PHLY_Sixers) October 14, 2025
Asked if Embiid could play in the team’s preseason finale against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, Nurse says: “I think there’s some chance, yeah. I don’t think we’re there yet. It’s a little early in the week to decide but I think it could still go either way. We got some thresholds to get over yet, I think, before we get to that point.”
The Last Word On Joel Embiid’s Potential Preseason Appearance
Honestly, Nurse didn’t sound very confident in Embiid making an on-court appearance in Philly’s preseason finale. However, he did entertain the idea enough for it to sound like a legitimate possibility. The “thresholds” that he mentioned Embiid needs to pass weren’t detailed but they may have to do with how he moves and feels after certain events. After all, the Sixers star’s primary issue is figuring out how to manage his rickety knees.
🚨 Joel Embiid has joined the 1 v 1 battles and…it’s tough to stop him pic.twitter.com/KFsCs4uCT9
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) October 14, 2025
All of that being said, Embiid was seen going 1-on-1 with Kelly Oubre Jr., Paul George and Tyrese Maxey after the team completed practice on Tuesday (h/t Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports). With him playing in a live scrimmage on Sunday and appearing to have no setbacks since then, he’s seemingly still on the right trajectory.
© Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
