The Philadelphia 76ers’ season continues to spiral.
With a 3-13 record to start the season, the team faces yet another setback as Joel Embiid will miss his 13th game when the 76ers take on the Houston Rockets Wednesday night. Philadelphia will also be without Paul George, who hyperextended his left knee last week against the Memphis Grizzlies.
George, who signed a four-year, $212 million max deal, has appeared in only eight games this season.
Limited in practice on Tuesday and wearing a knee brace, George told reporters he expects to return within a week.
“That’s kind of been the mindset I’ve had,” George said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I obviously haven’t quite cleared yet, but that’s the mindset that I’m targeting. The way the knee is feeling and how workouts have been going, hopefully, within a week, I’ll be ready to go.”
The Big 3 of Embiid, George, and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey have played together for just six minutes during last week’s game against the Grizzlies. Maxey has missed six games this season due to a hamstring injury.
“It’s challenging, especially when you look at the guys that came here for that reason of playing alongside myself, Joel and Tyrese. And we’re asking them to do a lot in the absence of us. So it’s tough. It’s tough for me to watch that,” George said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia.
“Guys are putting everything on the line. Some of them are getting banged up. … That’s what I’m working extremely hard to try to come back for — to help these guys. But it is challenging. All of this has been challenging and it’s been frustrating, but that’s life. You’ve got to continue to keep going. I live by that. One foot in front of the other, keep going.”
Philadelphia 76ers unable to trade Joel Embiid this season
The 76ers began the season with NBA championship aspirations, but if things don’t improve soon, they could become sellers rather than buyers at the trade deadline.
While many fans are calling for change and suggesting an Embiid trade, there’s a significant obstacle.
“Embiid cannot be traded until March because he signed his extension in September,” The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey reports. “The deadline to trade players is 3 p.m. on Feb. 6. And even if the Sixers wanted to trade him, it’s unlikely that they would receive a package back that they deemed of equal value.”
Prior to the season, the 76ers gave Embiid a three-year, $192.9 million extension, keeping him under contract through the 2028-29 season. The former MVP will earn $69 million in the final year of his deal.
This season has been particularly challenging for Embiid. On top of his left knee injury, he was suspended for three games for shoving Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes in the 76ers’ locker room after the writer mentioned Embiid’s son and late brother in a story. Additionally, Tyrese Maxey called out Embiid in a leaked team meeting about being late for basketball-related activities.