Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with appendicitis, the team announced Thursday. Embiid will undergo surgery in Houston Thursday afternoon, per the team.
The 76ers did not provide any additional details, but said that “further updates will be provided as appropriate.” Philadelphia, who has already clinched a postseason spot in the play-in tournament, is set to play the Houston Rockets Thursday evening.
Earlier on Thursday, The Athletic’s Tony Jones reported that Embiid had been feeling ill Thursday morning, and was receiving medical treatment as a result.
Advertisement
Full recovery from an appendectomy, the surgery that removes an inflamed appendix, can take up to six weeks, per Cleveland Clinic. The 76ers have three games remaining in the regular season, including Thursday’s matchup against the Rockets, before the playoffs begin.
It’s the latest in a long history of medical issues for the 32-year-old Embiid, who has only played 38 games this season due to various injuries. Embiid started the season with a lengthy absence due to a knee injury, before missing time in February with a shin issue on top of his knee problems, and missed even more time last month with an oblique injury.
This came after Embiid only played in 19 games last season, getting ruled out in February 2025 before undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. Across the past three seasons, Embiid has played 96 of 246 possible regular-season games.
Advertisement
Embiid had only just returned to full form, combining with Paul George for 63 points in the Sixers’ win over the Chicago Bulls on March 26. George returned to play last month after serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy. Additionally, Tyrese Maxey is back after missing three weeks with a pinky injury, giving Philadelphia’s roster some much-needed stability.
Philadelphia is set to return to the playoffs after missing it last year — the first time they had missed the postseason in seven years.