Joel Embiid Expects to Be Ready for 76ers Training Camp After Knee Surgery

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is currently taking part in non-contact drills and said he should be ready to participate in Sixers training camp following knee surgery.

Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated passed along the update Wednesday and noted the post player's next step will be getting cleared for five-on-five work.

Embiid missed the first two years of his professional career due to foot problems. He returned last season to average 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.1 assists across 31 games en route to earning a place on the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

His campaign came to an early end in February due to a torn meniscus in his left knee, which eventually required surgery in late March.

He told Jackie MacMullan of ESPN.com after the procedure the injury wasn't as bad as originally thought.

"I feel very lucky," Embiid said. "When I went into that surgery, I went in thinking I was going to have a six-month recovery. That's what they told me: six months or more. I'm thinking, 'No, not again.'"

He added: "When they did the MRI [before the surgery], it looked like my meniscus was fully torn. But when they got it in there, they realized that wasn't the case. It really turned out to be nothing, just a small, little thing. So that's very good."

His consistent injury woes since the 76ers selected him with the third overall pick in the 2014 draft likely mean the team will be cautious with Embiid once camp gets underway. The last thing the organization needs is another long-term setback.

That said, the center is a major piece of a rebuilt roster that also features Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons—the last two No. 1 overall picks—along with Dario Saric, Jahlil Okafor, Richaun Holmes and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, among others, representing the franchise's rewards for "trusting the process."

It's impossible to know exactly how good the Sixers could be until all of those rising stars manage to stay healthy together for an entire season, though.