Joel Embiid to undergo yet another surgery, this time on his knee

The Philadelphia 76ers’ current rebuild might need another rebuild. The team announced Wednesday that rookie center Joel Embiid will undergo surgery on the meniscus in his left knee in the coming days, derailing another season for the former No. 3 pick.

https://twitter.com/Sixers/status/844679605864857604

Embiid made his NBA debut earlier this season, more than two years after the 76ers drafted him in 2014. The 23-year-old had two surgeries on his right foot that cost him his first two seasons as a pro.

Embiid, who was widely viewed as the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year, showed flashes of promise this season, averaging 20.2 points and 7.8 rebounds despite being on a restriction that limited him to just 25.4 minutes per game. Despite the minutes restriction and the team holding him out from games on back-to-back nights, he partially tore his meniscus and suffered a bone bruise in his left knee Jan. 20 against the Blazers.

The 7-footer was part of the 76ers’ plan to rebuild through the draft. The three-year “process” reduced the franchise to one of the worst teams in the league, winning just 47 games during that span. The 76ers’ efforts brought them Nerlens Noel, Dario Saric, Embiid, Jahlil Okafor and last year’s No. 1 pick Ben Simmons, who missed this season after undergoing foot surgery. Noel was dealt to the Mavericks before this year's trade deadline.