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Former third overall pick Joel Embiid will have to wait at least one more season for his NBA debut.
Embiid will require bone graft surgery on his foot, the Philadelphia 76ers announced in a statement Saturday. The procedure will force him to miss the entirety of the 2015-16 season.
The announcement confirms an earlier report by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Sixers president and general manager Sam Hinkie said the following about Embiid's foot:
We have been consistent in our philosophy that our focus will be Joel's long-term health and wellness to ensure he will have a long and impactful career in the NBA.
After receiving the input of the aforementioned medical experts, as well as conversations with Joel and his representatives, there was careful consideration given to a number of options related to this particular situation.
A collective decision has been made that the best approach to promote full healing would be to proceed with a bone graft of the fracture site. We anticipate the procedure will take place in the next 7-10 days and result in Joel missing the upcoming season.
Embiid was touted as perhaps the best prospect of the 2014 draft class, ahead of names like Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins. Blessed with a solid 7-foot frame and breathtaking athleticism, Embiid was billed as a potential generational talent.
But the Kansas product suffered a stress fracture in his right foot on the eve of the draft last June, causing him to slip down draft boards. The Sixers selected Embiid despite the risk, hoping their gamble would pay off. Embiid was expected to miss five-to-eight months, but he didn't play a single game last season.
The woes didn't end there. Embiid's recovery was slow, but he eventually reached a point where he was no longer feeling pain in his foot. It was thought that he could potentially return in time for Summer League.
However, in mid-June, the Sixers announced Embiid had suffered a setback and his foot wasn't healing as quickly as they'd hoped. Embiid met with a series of specialists. Those doctors unanimously agreed that despite Embiid's lack of discomfort, his foot hadn't healed as much as they anticipated.
The Sixers didn't elaborate on the long-term prospects of Embiid's injury, but Pompey's report Saturday suggested it could be "career-threatening." Given that his history of foot and back problems traces back to his days in college, it's not an unreasonable thought.
If that's the case, Embiid represents a sunk cost, and the Sixers acted as such in the 2015 draft. They snagged center Jahlil Okafor with the third overall pick to pair him with 2013 lottery selection Nerlens Noel. Okafor seemed to overlap with Embiid at the time of his selection, but grabbing some insurance after accruing losses on a gamble makes sense.
Embiid could also recover and make good on his talent. Yao Ming and Zydrunas Ilgauskas are just two recent examples of hulking 7-footers overcoming early foot issues before enjoying fruitful careers. The Sixers are in no rush to win, and they can afford to let Embiid rest for as long as he needs to.
In the meantime, Sixers fans are likely in for another season of development. It's difficult given the results, but the motto in Philadelphia should still ring true: trust the process. The Sixers' future is still bright.
