Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey says Joel Embiid is eager to start the 2026-27 campaign.
"Joel is great," Gansey told ESPN's Kevin Negandhi. "This is like the first summer I think in a while that he's been healthy, so he's been in the gym working out. He's been lifting weights. He's extra motivated. He wants to play a lot of games, and he's excited about the group we've built now.
"Even before these trades and LeBron (James), I think he was excited. So he's motivated to have a good year and he's ready to go."
Embiid has battled various injuries throughout his career. The former MVP has played no more than 68 games in a single campaign and made just 38 regular-season appearances last season.
He then missed the first three contests of the 76ers' first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics after undergoing surgery for appendicitis. The seven-time All-Star was also sidelined for Game 2 of their second-round matchup versus the New York Knicks with ankle and hip injuries.
Gansey didn't say how many games Embiid intends to play next season, though he added that the team will work with the big man to determine the best plan.
"We'll sit down, talk to him, talk to performance staff, talk to (head coach) Nick (Nurse) and try to figure out a plan," Gansey said. "These guys want to play every game, but we got to map it out and see what's best for him and the team."
Philadelphia went 45-37 last season before being swept by the Knicks in the playoffs. The 76ers are now expected to be among the short list of contenders after adding James and Jaylen Brown this summer.
