Joel Embiid has successful knee surgery, Sixers now wait for the NBA Draft Lottery

Joel Embiid’s season ended months ago. Now, with one game left in a brutal Sixers campaign, he’s officially gone under the knife — again.

The Sixers announced this week that Joel Embiid underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, his second procedure on the same knee in just over a year.

The decision marks the final chapter of what turned into a wasted MVP follow-up season, a year marred by injury, frustration, and a franchise that never found its footing without him.

The surgery was performed Wednesday by Dr. Jonathan Glashow in New York. Embiid will be re-evaluated in six weeks, which — let’s be real — won’t mean much until next season tips off.

Joel Embiid had successful knee surgery on Wednesday

The Sixers announced that Joel Embiid had successful surgery on his knee on Wednesday.

Embiid’s procedure was performed by Dr. Jonathan Glashow, who has worked on/with Kawhi Leonard (among others) in the past

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) April 11, 2025

Another Setback, Another Surgery for Joel Embiid

This latest procedure brings more clarity to what had been a muddy and painful season. Embiid was ruled out for the year back in late February, after dealing with recurring swelling and pain in his left knee. The team said they were shutting him down to prioritize his “long-term health and performance.”

It was the right call, even if it came too late to salvage the season.

Joel Embiid missed the first nine games of the year due to “left knee management,” a vague term that eventually led to an NBA probe into the Sixers’ use of the league’s new player participation rules. When he did play, Embiid clearly wasn’t himself. By February, he admitted he couldn’t dominate in the way he was used to — something fans already saw coming.

After consulting with specialists, the 2023 MVP opted for surgery. It’s a familiar script. Joel Embiid had a torn meniscus repaired in February 2024, and the same knee continued to give him problems throughout 2025. Now he’s facing another rehab stint while questions about his future longevity start to creep back into the conversation.

The Sixers’ Tank was a success. Now it’s about the Draft Lottery:

The Sixers, now 24-57, will mercifully wrap up their regular season Sunday against the Chicago Bulls. The team has been decimated by injuries to Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Jared McCain.

There’s one potential saving grace: the NBA Draft Lottery.

With their 12-game losing streak behind them, the Sixers officially locked in the fifth-worst record in the NBA — a critical benchmark. That gives them a 64% chance to keep their first-round pick, which only conveys to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it falls outside the top six.

Lottery Math, Without the Headache

Here’s what the odds look like for the Sixers at each possible pick spot in the 2025 NBA Draft:

To simplify:

• 64.0% chance the Sixers keep their pick
• 36.0% chance it conveys to OKC and they get nothing

Why does OKC even have that pick? That goes back to Daryl Morey’s very first move as Sixers president, when he dumped Al Horford’s contract by trading back in the 2020 NBA Draft. That pick was top-6 protected, and it still haunts the Sixers to this day.

Small bonus here: the Sixers will officially pick 35th in the second round. They weren’t originally expected to have a second-rounder this year, but regained their own after flipping Caleb Martin to Dallas for Quentin Grimes. That trade continues to look like a smart piece of business.

If the Sixers do keep their pick, their debt to OKC doesn’t go away — it just gets delayed. They’ll owe a top-4 protected first-rounder in 2026, and again in 2027 if it doesn’t convey next year. Only after that would they be clear, and only at the cost of a second-round pick.

And in a minor but notable win, the Sixers also now own the No. 35 pick in the second round thanks to the Quentin Grimes trade. It’s a small thing, but hey — small things are all we’ve got right now.

Where It All Stands

Joel Embiid’s body gave out. The Sixers’ season unraveled. But by stacking losses and falling hard into the draft lottery, they at least gave themselves a chance at redemption. A 64% chance, to be exact.

The Sixers are still in the wilderness. Whether a top-6 pick can light the way out depends on May 12, when the ping pong balls start bouncing and Philly’s future is once again up to fate.

For now, cross your fingers. Because everything — literally everything — rides on that lottery.

Joel was moving so different in 2018 man, imagine if 2024 Biid had that frame/body pic.twitter.com/FP2TDPqAkg

— ℂ👽🗣️ (@SirEmbiid) April 11, 2025

Join The Chase