NBA
One Sixers’ insider suspects Joel Embiid ‘might know the end is near’
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated5 hours ago on July 28, 2025
During the 2014 NBA draft, the 76ers used the third overall pick to select Joe Embiid out of Kansas. He missed the first two seasons of his professional career due to injury.
In 2016-17, Embiid finally made his debut for Philadelphia. Over nine years, Embiid has started all 452 games he’s appeared in. With the 76ers, the 31-year-old center has had an unfortunate run with injuries. The seven-time All-Star has missed significant playing time over the last two seasons. Recently, Sixers’ insider Keith Pompey shared his thoughts about Embiid’s future. Pompey said, “I think Joel might know the end is near.”
Is the end in sight for 76ers’ Joel Embiid?
“I think Joel might know the end is near.” 😕
– @PompeyOnSixers on Joel Embiid’s future
(🎥 @SiriusXMNBA )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 27, 2025
Over the last two seasons, Joel Embiid has played 58 total games for the 76ers. He’s missed 106 games in the span. It’s been an uphill battle for the 2022-23 MVP to stay healthy. Last season, Embiid played in just 19 games for Philadelphia. Embiid was shut down in late February and did not return to action. In April, Embiid had surgery on his knee, the same one he had a procedure on 14 months earlier. Not a positive sign for the big man.
During July, Joel Embiid reportedly “resumed partial basketball activities.” Additionally, he’s expected to be ready for training camp in the fall. However, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey shared some information about the All-NBA center. Pompey said, “I think Joel might know the end is near.” Recently, Pompey shared his thoughts on ESPN’s Dotun Akintoye’s feature on Embiid.
“This partnership between Philadelphia and Joel Embiid, there’s no turning back.”@BobbyMarks42 thinks this offseason will determine Joel Embiid’s future with the 76ers 👀 pic.twitter.com/NMT9XPaJ3M
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 17, 2025
In this writing, Joel Embiid “deeply” reflected on the path of his career so far as he heads into year 10. The talented center discussed his run with injuries and the toll it’s taken on him. Keith Pompey believes Embiid could be coming to grips with the fact that his professional career is coming to an end. If he cannot stay healthy during the 2024-25 season, Joel Embiid might have to make an extremely tough decision.
Keith Pompey noted that he could be wrong and his thoughts are purely speculation. However, there is truth to this situation. Joel Embiid is still a top-10 player in the NBA when he’s healthy. However, staying on the court consistently has been his biggest hurdle in recent years. The 2025-26 season is an important year for Philadelphia. If Embiid runs into injury history again, the Sixers may have to reevaluate their franchise.
