Philadelphia 76ers president Mike Gansey said Joel Embiid is healthy during the current offseason for the first time in years, giving the franchise optimism that the All-Star center can be available for a larger role in the 2026-27 season.
“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,” Gansey told ESPN’s Kevin Negandhi. “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.”
Embiid’s availability has been a major factor for Philadelphia in recent seasons. After playing 66 games during his 2022-23 MVP season, the center appeared in 39 games in 2023-24, 19 games in 2024-25 and 38 games in 2025-26.
When healthy last season, Embiid remained one of the NBA’s most productive players. The 31-year-old averaged 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 31.6 minutes per game while shooting 48.9% from the field, 33.3% from three-point range and 85.4% from the free-throw line.
Gansey said the 76ers will collaborate with Embiid, head coach Nick Nurse and the team’s performance staff to determine how to manage his workload during the upcoming season.
“We’ll sit down, talk to him, talk to performance staff, talk to Nick 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’s offseason has significantly changed the roster around Embiid. The 76ers acquired Jaylen Brown in a blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics and added LeBron James in free agency, creating a veteran core alongside Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
The moves followed a 45-37 regular season in 2025-26, when Philadelphia earned the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference. The 76ers defeated Boston in a seven-game first-round series before being swept by the New York Knicks in the conference semifinals.
Embiid averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 19 games during the 2024-25 season before increasing his production to 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 38 games last season. Over his career, he has averaged 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists across 490 games.
Gansey said Embiid’s motivation was already high before Philadelphia’s major roster moves and believes the center is ready for the challenge ahead.
“Even before these trades and LeBron, I think he was excited,” Gansey said. “So he’s motivated to have a good year and he’s ready to go.”
