yahoo - 4/9/2026 10:53:26 PM - GMT (+2 )
The Philadelphia 76ers, fighting for seeding in the middle of a tight Eastern Conference, got some devastating news on Thursday.
Joel Embiid has been ruled out indefinitely due to an appendectomy in Houston.
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 9, 2026
While the 76ers are not providing a return timeline, players typically miss about three weeks after this surgery, although some players have been out a month or more. Even an optimistic timeline would have Embiid out during the play-in and the first round of the playoffs (should they advance).
Joel Embiid Medical Update: Appendectomies are relatively uncommon in the NBA but have occurred with players like Grant Hill & OG Anunoby undergoing the procedure. The average time lost for in-season surgery is ~23 days (10.2 games). Median = 18 days
— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) April 9, 2026
Philadelphia, 43-36, currently sits as the No. 8 seed in the East, but teams are so tightly bunched in the middle of the East that the 76ers could finish anywhere from fifth to 10th.
Embiid has played in just 38 games this season due to a variety of injuries, but when he has played, he's been his vintage self, averaging 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. The 76ers have a +5.1 net rating this season when he is on the court.
Tyrese Maxey and Paul George will lead Philadelphia into the postseason. The 76ers play the Houston Rockets on Thursday, have a back-to-back against the tanking Indiana Pacers on Friday, and then close the season on Sunday against another tanking team, the Milwaukee Bucks.
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