Embiid to make preseason debut vs. Timberwolves

Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid will be available to make his preseason debut Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The matchup is Philadelphia's final warmup before it opens its regular season Wednesday against the Boston Celtics.

Embiid, 31, hasn't played since February, when he was shut down for the final two months of the 2024-25 season because of a lingering issue with his left knee. The former MVP has also been recovering from arthroscopic surgery in April, though he said at media day on Sept. 26 that he was feeling "pretty good" following the procedure.

The seven-time All-Star has played just 58 combined regular-season games since 2023-24 because of issues with his left knee, for which he's undergone multiple surgeries since 2017.

In 19 appearances last season, he averaged 23.8 points - his worst scoring output since 2019-20 - as the 76ers went 24-58 and missed the playoffs. His 8.2 rebounds per game were his lowest mark since he tallied 7.8 per contest as a rookie in 2016-17.